View allAll Photos Tagged PUT THE LINK HERE
I was having lunch the other day in one of our busy concessions. I was setting at a long shared table beside a young college student. We began talking and I asked what she was majoring in and she said Earth Sciences. She worked this summer as a Tour Guide; here in the Park. Our conversation progressed and we started talking about mycology and I showed her a couple of mushroom pics I had on my cell phone. That led to her wanting to see more pictures so I accommodated her. As I was sliding though the vast number of pictures I store on my Note 3, she fires up her laptop and started asking me more questions. The first being “What inspires you to take a specific picture?” I paused for a moment, scrolled clear back to the beginning of my phone gallery and showed her a picture of my daughter. She was a little over 1 yo, setting on my lap, as I sat on a large tree stump. We were taking her up a mountain trail in Korea to a monastery, to have her blessed by monks. I told this young woman; it’s moment like this that inspire me. It’s being in a place, having an overwhelming feeling of emotion, that you want to share with others. This emotion can be filled with beauty, happiness, pain or sorrow; I try to capture this emotion to make this a better world for my daughter. As you look at this image you can see the beauty that Inspired me.
•The truth about Yosemite: www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Sexual-Harassment-Common-in...
Now that I hopefully have your attention; I also use my images to bring awareness and change. A few weeks ago I went down to the VA (Veterans Administration) Hospital in Fresno. I had a couple follow-up appointments from surgery I had last year. I went to check in and my VA Medical card was not in my wallet. I’ve had this ID card like forever, keep in in the same place (in a slot behind my Work ID card), only take it our when I have an appointment. The day before it was in my wallet; I didn’t receive a credit card statement so I went through my wallet to call them and ask why. It was in its place, opposite side my credit cards, behind my work ID.
The young man at the VA counter sent me to an office to get a new ID. I walked into that office and was greeted by a rude man that told me to present two forms of ID that were on a list, on the sheet of paper he handed me. I had my driver’s license, pictured work Id (but it wasn’t a state or federal ID). He said he couldn’t help me, so I fumbled through my wallet and pulled out my CA Firearm Safety Certificate; it’s a state ID card. It didn’t have a picture so he said he could use it. I asked if there was any other way to help me, I drove 2 hours and 45 minutes to get hear and need to make this appointment. He gives me a shitty look, grunts and starts typing on a keyboard for a few minutes. He then says “you’re lucky, we have your picture on file”. Yes indeed, I must be lucky :/
What had happened was; someone had gone into my residence and took my VA card out of my wallet the night before or that morning when I wasn’t in my room. When I got back to the Park that night I called NPS Law Enforcement to file a theft report. It was a pictured Federal ID that someone stole and illegally entered my residence. The Officer arrived and when I told him someone stole my VA card, he asked what it was. After I told him he thanked me for my service. He took all the information, gave me a report number and went on his way.
The next morning I went to the bathhouse to take a shower. I live in a dorm type building and we have a common area building for bathrooms, showers and kitchen. They are nicely maintained and I gladly sacrifice a large living quarters to have a private room and live in this magnificent park. Well anyway; as I walked back to my room after my shower, one of the housing staff was standing in front of my door, shaking a large ring of keys. This being a vindictive gesture, having my VA card stolen. There are many that have master keys and access to our residence; housing staff, maintenance and security.
That same morning I went out to my Jeep and found a warning citation on its window. It was a citation for having a cooler in my vehicle. I use the cooler when I go out of the park to buy groceries. The store we have here is extremely overpriced, so when I go to Fresno or another area I’ll stock up on groceries. I use the cooler for transport, make sure it’s empty when I unpack, keep it covered with a blanket; break the pattern with a jacket. I keep a lot of gear in my Jeep; a case of bottled water, cold weather gear, snow chains, tools, miscellaneous equipment for the mountains. Most of my gear is covered and the windows darkly tinted. I don’t know how the Park Ranger was able to determine I had a cooler in it. The warning said Ice chest (even if empty and covered!!). I wonder if this is what is meant by thanking me for my service. The Park ranger that took my theft report may have been sincere, but I doubt this was a coincidence.
Now that I brought up coincidence; I know, here we go again, but bear with me, almost done. One of the follow up appointments was for cancer surgery I had last year. That being said; my coworkers and other Park employees, to this day, still intentionally expose me to their second hand cigarette smoke. This is done very day, every opportunity they have. I ask you; what kind of person takes an honored veteran’s medical ID card? What kind of person intentionally exposes a person battling cancer to their cigarette
smoke? I’ll tell you; people who live and work in Yosemite National Park.
I don’t share these incidences for pity or empathy. I do so to inform you what happens to Americans who expose corporate and government corruption. This is how Corporate America and our Government Agencies keep those in check; that dare to speak out.
You can hate me, call me what you will; it will not change the facts or truth that; Gang Staking, Community Stalking and Workplace Mobbing are thriving in Yosemite National Park. These immoral and illegal acts are carried out by my coworkers, neighbors, residents and contractors. They are allowed by Yosemite’s Law Enforcement and Superintendent.
It’s beyond me how people can be inspired to be so cruel, so vindictive. I’d like to leave you with this video; these are prime examples of acceptable behavior in Yosemite National Park , the mentality of those involved in Gang Stalking, Community Stalking and Workplace Mobbing. This could be one of my neighbors, coworkers and many of the residents in Yosemite.
www.cfox.com/2015/05/05/video-psycho-roomate-from-hell-bu...
Put on a good pair of headphones and listen to what happen to whislteblowers in Yosemite
Again one of the links I posted links became unavailable, so I posted a new one. If you click on the above link it will direct you to the Psycho Roommate.
Thank you for visiting my Photostream.
Yosemite's 1612 ft. Ribbon Falls flows mainly in the spring and early summer. This may seem like a peaceful scene, but it was one of my most dangerous photo attempts to date. No HDR!
Free wallpaper for over 100 of my images in 6 different screen sizes is now available!
See the 1200 pixel version!
www.flickr.com/photos/patrick-smith-photography/403913020...
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Settings etc.:
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Canon 5D Mark II
Canon 17-40L @ 24
0.4-second exposure @F18
2 hours before sunset when the light is still on the cliff face.
LEE soft ND grad (100x150mm) 0.9 + 0.75
Lee foundation kit filter holder with Lee 77mm adapter ring
No polarizer. I wanted reflections in the water
ISO 50
RAW file processed with Capture One by Phase One
TIFF file processed with Photoshop
At 1612ft, Ribbon Falls is the tallest unobstructed free-falling waterfall in the United States and one of the tallest falls overall in Yosemite Valley. But people usually miss it. Angel Falls in Venezuela has a taller single fall of 2600 ft. (97 waterfalls are taller in total drop, but it is the 13th tallest single unobstructed fall in the world according to this world waterfall database:
www.world-waterfalls.com/database.php?s=N&t=H&ord...
Yes, this was a hazardous place to be. But I always look for alternative views where I can. This is not the Valley View lookout, but rather upstream from there. First, there had been a recent spring rain and the ground was muddy and the grass would sink in unexpected places as you walk. Once I got to the river, I realized that the place with the best view (right here) was a pile of logs that were swept downstream and had accumulated into a rather unstable pile in an eddy formed by the river. The only problem was that in order to get to this pile of logs, I had to walk across a few narrow logs marginally caught in about 8ft. of cold rapidly running water to the left of where I put my tripod for this shot.
So, with my camera in my backpack, I got two long straight branches about 12 feet long and managed to cross the logs supporting myself with my two branches. Once I was on the log pile, I had to wait for quite a while for good light to fall across El Capitan. It was nervewracking because every so often, the pile of logs would shift a bit, but it was worth it!
The only extra bit of composing I had to do besides getting close to the river foreground to dramatize the roaring river, was to center Ribbon Falls in between two trees for a more open view of it!
The map shows exactly where this is. It is a 1-mile hike from the nearest road.
See my Flickr profile for a link to my newly designed website.
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New Video - What's in Trey's Camera Bag?
I put this video on a special Camera Bag page here on the site -- and included the link in the recent newsletter that went out a few days ago. It has a few comments on there with model numbers and the like, if you are interested!
Cali Lewis and John P met me for lunch one day in Texas, and John had his handy-dandy video camera. I was just about to leave for a long photo-adventure, and we decided to use the opportunity to document what is in my bag. I know many people are interested in this, so here we go!
Cali can be seen on calilewis.me/ and is the host of www.geekbrief.tv/. You can find John P at onemansblog.com/. Thanks again - and I hope you guys enjoy seeing what is on the inside.
I mention some Photography Gadgets there in the video -- and if you want more information on any of the things inside, see my "Reviews" area of the website.
Daily Photo - The Remarkable Mood
Oh wow do I love New Zealand! Every city I have been to is remarkable in its own way, and I was particularly struck by the environs around Queenstown. It's just an amazing place. I've been completely swamped with photo activities, but I stayed up till 4 AM in my "HomeCar" (as my daughter calls it) to process this photo. It's all a perfectly magical place, as you can plainly see here. This was the beginning of a three-hour sunset drive that went around this same lake... every stop was more moody than the next.
That mountain range? It's called "The Remarkables". What a cool name.
from Trey Ratcliff at www.stuckincustoms.com
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Khajuraho"
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Location Madhya Pradesh, India Edit this at Wikidata
Coordinates 24°51′08″N 79°55′20″E
Criteria Cultural: (i), (iii) Edit this on Wikidata[1]
Reference 240
Inscription 1986 (10th Session)
Khajuraho Group of Monuments is located in India
Khajuraho Group of Monuments
Location of Khajuraho Group of Monuments
[edit on Wikidata]
The Khajuraho Group of Monuments is a group of Hindu and Jain temples in Madhya Pradesh, India, about 175 kilometres (109 mi) southeast of Jhansi. They are one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India.[2][3] The temples are famous for their nagara-style architectural symbolism and their erotic sculptures.[4]
Most Khajuraho temples were built between 950 and 1050 by the Chandela dynasty.[5] Historical records note that the Khajuraho temple site had 85 temples by the 12th century, spread over 20 square kilometers Of these, only about 25 temples have survived, spread over 6 square kilometers.[3] Of the various surviving temples, the Kandariya Mahadeva Temple is decorated with a profusion of sculptures with intricate details, symbolism and expressiveness of ancient Indian art.[6]
The Khajuraho group of temples were built together but were dedicated to two religions, Hinduism and Jainism, suggesting a tradition of acceptance and respect for diverse religious views among Hindus and Jains in the region.[7]
Contents
1 Location
2 History
3 Description
3.1 Architecture of the temples
4 Construction
5 Chronology
6 Arts and sculpture
7 Tourism and cultural events
8 See also
9 References
10 Further reading
11 External links
Location
The Khajuraho monuments are located in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, in Chhatarpur district, about 620 kilometres (385 mi) southeast of New Delhi. The temples are near a small town also known as Khajuraho,[8] with a population of about 20,000 people (2001 Census).
Khajuraho is served by Civil Aerodrome Khajuraho (IATA Code: HJR), with services to Delhi, Agra, Varanasi and Mumbai.[9] The site is also linked by the Indian Railways service, with the railway station located approximately six kilometres from the entrance to the monuments .
The monuments are about 10 kilometres off the east-west National Highway 75, and about 50 kilometres from the city of Chhatarpur, which is connected to the state capital Bhopal by the SW-NE running National Highway 86.
The 10th century Bhand Deva Temple in Rajasthan was built in the style of the Khajuraho monuments and is often referred to as 'Little Khajuraho'.
History
The Khajuraho group of monuments was built during the rule of the Chandela dynasty. The building activity started almost immediately after the rise of their power, throughout their kingdom to be later known as Bundelkhand.[10] Most temples were built during the reigns of the Hindu kings Yashovarman and Dhanga. Yashovarman's legacy is best exhibited by The Lakshmana Temple. Vishvanatha temple best highlights King Dhanga's reign.[11]:22 The largest and currently most famous surviving temple is Kandariya Mahadeva built in the reign of King Vidyadhara.[12] The temple inscriptions suggest many of the currently surviving temples were complete between 970 and 1030 CE, with further temples completed during the following decades.[7]
The Khajuraho temples were built about 35 miles from the medieval city of Mahoba,[13] the capital of the Chandela dynasty, in the Kalinjar region. In ancient and medieval literature, their kingdom has been referred to as Jijhoti, Jejahoti, Chih-chi-to and Jejakabhukti.[14]
Khajuraho was mentioned by Abu Rihan-al-Biruni, the Persian historian who accompanied Mahmud of Ghazni in his raid of Kalinjar in 1022 CE; he mentions Khajuraho as the capital of Jajahuti.[15] The raid was unsuccessful, and a peace accord was reached when the Hindu king agreed to pay a ransom to Mahmud of Ghazni to end the attack and leave.[14]
Khajuraho temples were in active use through the end of 12th century. This changed in the 13th century; after the army of Delhi Sultanate, under the command of the Muslim Sultan Qutb-ud-din Aibak, attacked and seized the Chandela kingdom. About a century later, Ibn Battuta, the Moroccan traveller in his memoirs about his stay in India from 1335 to 1342 CE, mentioned visiting Khajuraho temples, calling them "Kajarra"[16][17] as follows:
Until the 12th century, Khajuraho was under Hindu kings and featured 85 temples. Central India was seized by Delhi Sultanate in 13th century. Under Muslim rule, some temples were destroyed and the rest left in neglect. Ruins of some old temples (Ghantai temple above) are still visible.
...near (Khajuraho) temples, which contain idols that have been mutilated by the Moslems, live a number of yogis whose matted locks have grown as long as their bodies. And on account of extreme asceticism they are all yellow in colour. Many Moslems attend these men in order to take lessons (yoga) from them.
— Ibn Battuta, about 1335 CE, Riḥlat Ibn Baṭūṭah, Translated by Arthur Cotterell[18]
Central Indian region, where Khajuraho temples are, remained in the control of many different Muslim dynasties from 13th century through the 18th century. In this period, some temples were desecrated, followed by a long period when they were left in neglect.[7][10] In 1495 CE, for example, Sikandar Lodi’s campaign of temple destruction included Khajuraho.[19] The remoteness and isolation of Khajuraho protected the Hindu and Jain temples from continued destruction by Muslims.[20][21] Over the centuries, vegetation and forests overgrew, took over the temples.
In the 1830s, local Hindus guided a British surveyor, T.S. Burt, to the temples and they were thus rediscovered by the global audience.[22] Alexander Cunningham later reported, few years after the rediscovery, that the temples were secretly in use by yogis and thousands of Hindus would arrive for pilgrimage during Shivaratri celebrated annually in February or March based on a lunar calendar. In 1852, Maisey prepared earliest drawings of the Khajuraho temples.[23]
Nomenclature
The name Khajuraho, or Kharjuravāhaka, is derived from ancient Sanskrit (kharjura, खर्जूर means date palm,[24] and vāhaka, वाहक means "one who carries" or bearer[25]). Local legends state that the temples had two golden date-palm trees as their gate (missing when they were rediscovered). Desai states that Kharjuravāhaka also means scorpion bearer, which is another symbolic name for deity Shiva (who wears snakes and scorpion garlands in his fierce form).[26]
Cunningham’s nomenclature and systematic documentation work in 1850s and 1860s have been widely adopted and continue to be in use.[23] He grouped the temples into the Western group around Lakshmana, Eastern group around Javeri, and Southern group around Duladeva.[27]
Khajuraho is one of the four holy sites linked to deity Shiva (the other three are Kedarnath, Kashi and Gaya). Its origin and design is a subject of scholarly studies. Shobita Punja[28] has proposed that the temple’s origin reflect the Hindu mythology in which Khajuraho is the place where Shiva got married; with Raghuvamsha verse 5.53, Matangeshvara honoring ‘’Matanga’’, or god of love.
Description
Sections and orientation of Khajuraho temples.
The temple site is within Vindhya mountain range in central India. An ancient local legend held that Hindu deity Shiva and other gods enjoyed visiting the dramatic hill formation in Kalinjar area.[27] The center of this region is Khajuraho, set midst local hills and rivers. The temple complex reflects the ancient Hindu tradition of building temples where gods love to play.[27][29]
The temples are clustered near water, another typical feature of Hindu temples. The current water bodies include Sib Sagar, Khajur Sagar (also called Ninora Tal) and Khudar Nadi (river).[30] The local legends state that the temple complex had 64 water bodies, of which 56 have been physically identified by archeologists so far.[27][31]
All temples, except[27] one (Chaturbhuja) face sunrise - another symbolic feature that is predominant in Hindu temples. The relative layout of temples integrate masculine and feminine deities and symbols highlight the interdependence.[28] The art work symbolically highlight the four goals of life considered necessary and proper in Hinduism - dharma, kama, artha and moksha.
Of the surviving temples, 6 are dedicated to Shiva and his consorts, 8 to Vishnu and his affinities, 1 to Ganesha, 1 to Sun god, 3 to Jain Tirthankars.[27] For some ruins, there is insufficient evidence to assign the temple to specific deities with confidence.
An overall examination of site suggests that the Hindu symbolic mandala design principle of square and circles is present each temple plan and design.[32] Further, the territory is laid out in three triangles that converge to form a pentagon. Scholars suggest that this reflects the Hindu symbolism for three realms or trilokinatha, and five cosmic substances or panchbhuteshvara.[27] The temple site highlights Shiva, the one who destroys and recycles life, thereby controlling the cosmic dance of time, evolution and dissolution.[28]
The temples have a rich display of intricately carved statues. While they are famous for their erotic sculpture, sexual themes cover less than 10% of the temple sculpture.[33] Further, most erotic scene panels are neither prominent nor emphasized at the expense of the rest, rather they are in proportional balance with the non-sexual images.[34] The viewer has to look closely to find them, or be directed by a guide.[35] The arts cover numerous aspects of human life and values considered important in Hindu pantheon. Further, the images are arranged in a configuration to express central ideas of Hinduism. All three ideas from Āgamas are richly expressed in Khajuraho temples - Avyakta, Vyaktavyakta and Vyakta.[36]
The Beejamandal temple is under excavation. It has been identified with the Vaidyanath temple mentioned in the Grahpati Kokalla inscription.[37]
Of all temples, the Matangeshvara temple remains an active site of worship.[28] It is another square grid temple, with a large 2.5 metres (8.2 ft) high and 1.1 metres (3.6 ft) diameter lingam, placed on a 7.6 metres (25 ft) diameter platform.[27]
The most visited temple, Kandariya Mahadev, has an area of about 6,500 square feet and a shikhara (spire) that rises 116 feet.[10][27]
Jain temples
Main article: Jain temples of Khajuraho
The Jain temples are located on east-southeast region of Khajuraho monuments.[38] Chausath jogini temple features 64 jogini, while Ghantai temple features bells sculptured on its pillars.
Architecture of the temples
The layout plan of Kandariya Mahadeva Temple. It uses the 64 pada grid design. Smaller Khajuraho temples use the 9, 16, 36 or 49 grid mandala plan.[39]
Khajuraho temples, like almost all Hindu temple designs, follow a grid geometrical design called vastu-purusha-mandala.[40] This design plan has three important components - Mandala means circle, Purusha is universal essence at the core of Hindu tradition, while Vastu means the dwelling structure.[41]
The design lays out a Hindu temple in a symmetrical, concentrically layered, self-repeating structure around the core of the temple called garbhagriya, where the abstract principle Purusha and the primary deity of the temple dwell. The shikhara, or spire, of the temple rises above the garbhagriya. This symmetry and structure in design is derived from central beliefs, myths, cardinality and mathematical principles.[42]
The circle of mandala circumscribe the square. The square is considered divine for its perfection and as a symbolic product of knowledge and human thought, while circle is considered earthly, human and observed in everyday life (moon, sun, horizon, water drop, rainbow). Each supports the other.[29] The square is divided into perfect 64 sub-squares called padas.[40]
Most Khajuraho temples deploy the 8x8 (64) padas grid Manduka Vastupurushamandala, with pitha mandala the square grid incorporated in the design of the spires.[39] The primary deity or lingas are located in the grid’s Brahma padas.
Khajuraho temples use the 8x8 (64) Vastupurusamandala Manduka grid layout plan (left) found in Hindu temples. Above the temple’s brahma padas is a Shikhara (Vimana or Spire) that rises symmetrically above the central core, typically in a circles and turning-squares concentric layering design (right) that flows from one to the other as it rises towards the sky.[29][43]
The architecture is symbolic and reflects the central Hindu beliefs through its form, structure and arrangement of its parts.[44] The mandapas as well as the arts are arranged in the Khajuraho temples in a symmetric repeating patterns, even though each image or sculpture is distinctive in its own way. The relative placement of the images are not random but together they express ideas, just like connected words form sentences and paragraphs to compose ideas.[45] This fractal pattern that is common in Hindu temples.[46] Various statues and panels have inscriptions. Many of the inscriptions on the temple walls are poems with double meanings, something that the complex structure of Sanskrit allows in creative compositions.[26]
All Khajuraho temples, except one, face sunrise, and the entrance for the devotee is this east side.
An illustration of Khajuraho temple Spires (Shikhara, Vimana) built using concentric circle and rotating-squares principle. Four spires (left) are shown above, while the inside view of one Shikara ceiling (right) shows the symmetric layout.
Above the vastu-purusha-mandala of each temple is a superstructure with a dome called Shikhara (or Vimana, Spire).[41] Variations in spire design come from variation in degrees turned for the squares. The temple Shikhara, in some literature, is linked to mount Kailash or Meru, the mythical abode of the gods.[29]
In each temple, the central space typically is surrounded by an ambulatory for the pilgrim to walk around and ritually circumambulate the Purusa and the main deity.[29] The pillars, walls and ceilings around the space, as well as outside have highly ornate carvings or images of the four just and necessary pursuits of life - kama, artha, dharma and moksa. This clockwise walk around is called pradakshina.[41]
Larger Khajuraho temples also have pillared halls called mandapa. One near the entrance, on the east side, serves as the waiting room for pilgrims and devotees. The mandapas are also arranged by principles of symmetry, grids and mathematical precision. This use of same underlying architectural principle is common in Hindu temples found all over India.[47] Each Khajuraho temple is distinctly carved yet also repeating the central common principles in almost all Hindu temples, one which Susan Lewandowski refers to as "an organism of repeating cells".[48]
Construction
The temples are grouped into three geographical divisions: western, eastern and southern.
The Khajuraho temples are made of sandstone, with a granite foundation that is almost concealed from view.[49] The builders didn't use mortar: the stones were put together with mortise and tenon joints and they were held in place by gravity. This form of construction requires very precise joints. The columns and architraves were built with megaliths that weighed up to 20 tons.[50] Some repair work in the 19th Century was done with brick and mortar; however these have aged faster than original materials and darkened with time, thereby seeming out of place.
The Khajuraho and Kalinjar region is home to superior quality of sandstone, which can be precision carved. The surviving sculpture reflect fine details such as strands of hair, manicured nails and intricate jewelry.
While recording the television show Lost Worlds (History Channel) at Khajuraho, Alex Evans recreated a stone sculpture under 4 feet that took about 60 days to carve in an attempt to develop a rough idea how much work must have been involved.[51] Roger Hopkins and Mark Lehner also conducted experiments to quarry limestone which took 12 quarrymen 22 days to quarry about 400 tons of stone.[52] They concluded that these temples would have required hundreds of highly trained sculptors.
Chronology
The Khajuraho group of temples belong to Vaishnavism school of Hinduism, Saivism school of Hinduism and Jainism - nearly a third each. Archaeological studies suggest all three types of temples were under construction at about the same time in late 10th century, and in use simultaneously. Will Durant states that this aspect of Khajuraho temples illustrates the tolerance and respect for different religious viewpoints in the Hindu and Jain traditions.[53] In each group of Khajuraho temples, there were major temples surrounded by smaller temples - a grid style that is observed to varying degrees in Hindu temples in Angkor Wat, Parambaran and South India.
The largest surviving Saiva temple is Khandarya Mahadeva, while the largest surviving Vaishnava group includes Chaturbhuja and Ramachandra.
Kandariya Mahadeva Temple plan is 109 ft in length by 60 ft, and rises 116 ft above ground and 88 ft above its own floor. The central padas are surrounded by three rows of sculptured figures, with over 870 statues, most being half life size (2.5 to 3 feet). The spire is a self repeating fractal structure.
Temples, religious affiliations and consecration years
Sequence Modern Temple name Religion Deity Completed by
(CE)[27][54] Image
1 Chausath Yogini Hinduism Devi, 64 Yoginis 885 Khajuraho,Chausath-Yogini-Tempel2.jpg
2 Brahma Hinduism Vishnu 925
3 Lalgun Mahadev Hinduism Shiva 900 India-5696 - Flickr - archer10 (Dennis).jpg
4 Matangeshwar Hinduism Shiva 1000 India-5772 - Flickr - archer10 (Dennis).jpg
5 Varaha Hinduism Vishnu 950 India-5595 - Flickr - archer10 (Dennis).jpg
6 Lakshmana Hinduism Vaikuntha Vishnu 939 India-5679 - Flickr - archer10 (Dennis).jpg
7 Parshvanatha Jainism Parshvanatha 954 Le temple de Parshvanath (Khajuraho) (8638423582).jpg
8 Vishvanatha Hinduism Shiva 999 India-5749 - Visvanatha Temple - Flickr - archer10 (Dennis).jpg
9 Devi Jagadambi Hinduism Devi, Parvati 1023 Khajuraho Devi Jagadambi Temple 2010.jpg
10 Chitragupta Hinduism Sun, Chitragupta 1023 India-5707 - Flickr - archer10 (Dennis).jpg
11 Kandariya Mahadeva (Largest temple) Hinduism Shiva 1029 Temple at Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh, India.jpg
12 Vamana Hinduism Vamana 1062 Khajuraho Vaman Temple 2010.jpg
13 Adinath Jain Temple Jainism Adinatha 1027 Adinath Jain Temple Khajuraho 12.jpg
14 Javeri Hinduism Vishnu 1090 Javari Temple, Khajuraho.jpg
15 Chaturbhuja Hinduism Vishnu 1110 Khajuraho Chaturbhuja Temple.jpg
16 Duladeo (Duladeva) Hinduism Shiva 1125 Khajuraho Dulhadeo 2010.jpg
17 Ghantai Jainism Adinatha 960 A ruin, pillars at Khajuraho, India.jpg
18 Vishnu-Garuda Hinduism Vishnu 1000
19 Ganesha Hinduism Shiva 1000
20 Hanuman Hinduism Hanuman 922[55] Hanuman Inscription at Khajuraho.jpg
21 Mahishasuramardini Hinduism Mahishasuramardini 995 Khajuraho India, Lakshman Temple, Sculpture 10.JPG
22 Shantinatha temple Jainism Shantinatha 1027 Jain group of temples - Khajuraho 09.jpg
Arts and sculpture
Khajuraho temples are famous for their erotic arts. These constitute about 10% of total art displayed at the monuments.
Erotic sculptures
The Khajuraho temples feature a variety of art work, of which 10% is sexual or erotic art outside and inside the temples. Some of the temples that have two layers of walls have small erotic carvings on the outside of the inner wall. Some scholars suggest these to be tantric sexual practices.[56] Other scholars state that the erotic arts are part of Hindu tradition of treating kama as an essential and proper part of human life, and its symbolic or explicit display is common in Hindu temples.[6][57] James McConnachie, in his history of the Kamasutra, describes the sexual-themed Khajuraho sculptures as "the apogee of erotic art":
"Twisting, broad-hipped and high breasted nymphs display their generously contoured and bejewelled bodies on exquisitely worked exterior wall panels. These fleshy apsaras run riot across the surface of the stone, putting on make-up, washing their hair, playing games, dancing, and endlessly knotting and unknotting their girdles....Beside the heavenly nymphs are serried ranks of griffins, guardian deities and, most notoriously, extravagantly interlocked maithunas, or lovemaking couples."
Over 90% of the art work at the temple is about daily life and symbolic values in ancient Indian culture.
The temples have several thousand statues and art works, with Kandarya Mahadeva Temple alone decorated with over 870. Some 10% of these iconographic carvings contain sexual themes and various sexual poses. A common misconception is that, since the old structures with carvings in Khajuraho are temples, the carvings depict sex between deities;[58] however the kama arts represent diverse sexual expressions of different human beings.[59] The vast majority of arts depict various aspects the everyday life, mythical stories as well as symbolic display of various secular and spiritual values important in Hindu tradition.[3][6] For example, depictions show women putting on makeup, musicians making music, potters, farmers, and other folks in their daily life during the medieval era.[60] These scenes are in the outer padas as is typical in Hindu temples.
There is iconographic symbolism embedded in the arts displayed in Khajuraho temples.[6] Core Hindu values are expressed in multitude of ways. Even the Kama scenes, when seen in combination of sculptures that precede and follow, depict the spiritual themes such as moksha. In the words of Stella Kramrisch,
This state which is “like a man and woman in close embrace” is a symbol of moksa, final release or reunion of two principles, the essence (Purusha) and the nature (Prakriti).
— Stella Kramrisch, 1976[29]
The Khajuraho temples represent one expression of many forms of arts that flourished in Rajput kingdoms of India from 8th through 10th century CE. For example, contemporary with Khajuraho were the publications of poems and drama such as Prabodhacandrodaya, Karpuramanjari, Viddhasalabhanjika and Kavyamimansa.[61] Some of the themes expressed in these literary works are carved as sculpture in Khajuraho temples.[26][62] Some sculptures at the Khajuraho monuments dedicated to Vishnu include the Vyalas, which are hybrid imaginary animals with lions body, and are found in other Indian temples.[63] Some of these hybrid mythical art work include Vrik Vyala (hybrid of wolf and lion) and Gaja Vyala (hybrid of elephant and lion). These Vyalas may represent syncretic, creative combination of powers innate in the two.[64]
Tourism and cultural events
Temples layout map – Khajuraho Group of Monuments.
The temples in Khajuraho are broadly divided into three parts : the Eastern group, the Southern Group and the Western group of temples of which the Western group alone has the facility of an Audio guided tour wherein the tourists are guided through the seven eight temples. There is also an audio guided tour developed by the Archaeological Survey of India which includes a narration of the temple history and architecture.[65]
The Khajuraho Dance Festival is held every year in February.[66] It features various classical Indian dances set against the backdrop of the Chitragupta or Vishwanath Temples.
The Khajuraho temple complex offers a light and sound show every evening. The first show is in English language and the second one in Hindi. It is held in the open lawns in the temple complex, and has received mixed reviews.
The Madhya Pradesh Tourism Development has set up kiosks at the Khajuraho railway station, with tourist officers to provide information for Khajuraho visitors.
See also
List of megalithic sites
Jain temples of Khajuraho
Ajanta Caves
Badami Chalukya architecture
Western Chalukya architecture
Hindu temple
Madan Kamdev
Hemvati
Kama Sutra
Kamashastra
The Kandariya Mahadeva Temple (Devanagari: कंदारिया महादेव मंदिर, Kaṇḍāriyā Mahādeva Mandir), meaning "the Great God of the Cave", is the largest and most ornate Hindu temple in the medieval temple group found at Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh, India. It is considered one of the best examples of temples preserved from the medieval period in India.
Contents
1 Location
2 History
3 Features
4 References
5 Bibliography
6 Further reading
7 External links
Location
Temples layout map of Khajuraho Group of Monuments: Kandariya Mahadeva Temple is in the western group
Kaṇḍāriyā Mahādeva Temple is located in the Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh in Central India.[1] It is in the Khajuraho village, and the temple complex is spread over an area of 6 square kilometres (2.3 sq mi).[2] It is in the western part of the village to the west of the Vishnu temple.[3][4]
The temple complex, in the Khajuraho village at an elevation of 282 metres (925 ft), is well connected by road, rail and air services. Khajuraho is 55 kilometres (34 mi) to the south of Mahoba, 47 kilometres (29 mi) away from the Chhatarpur city to its east, 43 kilometres (27 mi) away from Panna, 175 kilometres (109 mi) by road away from Jhansi on the north, and 600 kilometres (370 mi) to the south - east of Delhi. It is 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) from the railway station.[1][5] Khajuraho is served by Khajuraho Airport (IATA Code: HJR), with services to Delhi, Agra and Mumbai. It is 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) from the temple.[5][6]
History
Khajuraho was once the capital of the Chandela dynasty. The Kandariya Mahadeva Temple, one of the best examples of temples preserved from the medieval period in India,[1][7] is the largest of the western group of temples in the Khajuraho complex which was built by the Chandela rulers. Shiva is the chief deity in the temple deified in the sanctum sanctorium.[8]
The Kandariya Mahadeva temples was built during the reign of Vidyadhara (r. c. 1003-1035 CE).[9] At various periods of the reign of this dynasty many famous temples dedicated to Vishnu, Shiva, Surya, Shakti of the Hindu religion and also for the Thirthankaras of Jain religion were built. Vidhyadhara, also known as Bida in the recordings of the Muslim historian Ibn-al-Athir, who is credited with building the Kaṇḍāriyā Mahādeva Temple, was a powerful ruler who fought Mahmud of Ghazni in the first offensive launched by the latter in 1019.[1] This battle was not conclusive and Mahmud had to return to Ghazni. Mahmud again waged war against Vidhyadhara in 1022. He attacked the fort of Kalinjar.[1] The siege of the fort was unsuccessful. It was lifted and Mahmud and Vidhyadhara called a truce and parted by exchanging gifts. Vidhyadhara celebrated his success over Mahmud and other rulers by building the Kaṇḍāriyā Mahādeva Temple, dedicated to his family deity Shiva. Epigraphic inscriptions on a pilaster of the mandapa in the temple mentions the name of the builder of the temple as Virimda, which is interpreted as the pseudonym of Vidhyadhara.[1] Its construction is dated to the period from 1025 and 1050 AD.[4]
All the extant temples including the Kandariya Mahadeva Temple were inscribed in 1986 under the UNESCO List of World Heritage Sites under Criterion III for its artistic creation and under Criterion V for the culture of the Chandelas that was popular till the country was invaded by Muslims in 1202.[10][11]
Features
Various features of the temple marked on the Kandariya Mahadeo Temple.
Simplified map of the temple
The Kandariya Mahadeva Temple, 31 metres (102 ft) in height, is in the western complex, which is the largest among the three groups of the Khajuraho complex of temples.[12] This western group of temples, consisting of the Kandariya, Matangeshwara and Vishvanatha temples, is compared to a "cosmic design of a hexagon (a yantra or Cosmo gram)" representing the three forms of Shiva.[5] The temple architecture is an assemblage of porches and towers which terminates in a shikhara or spire, a feature which was common from the 10th century onwards in the temples of Central India.[12]
The temple is founded on a massive plinth of 4 metres (13 ft) height.[13] The temple structure above the plinth is dexterously planned and pleasingly detailed.[14] The superstructure is built in a steep mountain shape or form, symbolic of Mount Meru which is said to be the mythical source of creation of the world.[8] The superstructure has richly decorated roofs which rise in a grand form terminating in the shikara, which has 84 miniature spires.[4] The temple is in layout of 6 square kilometres (2.3 sq mi), of which 22 are extant including the Kaṇḍāriyā Mahādeva Temple. This temple is characteristically built over a plan of 31 metres (102 ft) in length and 20 metres (66 ft) in width with the main tower soaring to a height of 31 metres (102 ft), and is called the "largest and grandest temple of Khajuraho".[2][14][15] A series of steep steps with high rise lead from the ground level to the entrance to the temple.[16] The layout of the temple is a five-part design, a commonality with the Lakshmana and Vishvanatha temples in the Khajuraho complex. Right at the entrance there is torana, a very intricately carved garland which is sculpted from a single stone; such entrances are part of a Hindu wedding procession.[4] The carvings on the entrance gate shows the "tactile quality of the stone and also the character of the symmetrical design" that is on view in the entire temple which has high relief carvings of the figurines. Finely chiseled, the decorative quality of the ornamentation with the sharp inscribed lines has "strong angular forms and brilliant dark-light patterns". The carvings are of circles, undulations giving off spirals or sprays, geometric patterns, masks of lions and other uniform designs which has created a pleasant picture that is unique to this temple, among all others in the complex.[14]
The main temple tower with 84 mini spires
Erotic sculptures on the external walls of the temple
In the interior space from the entrance there are three mandapas or halls, which successively rise in height and width, which is inclusive of a small chamber dedicated to Shiva, a chamber where Shiva's wife, Parvati is deified, and a central sanctum or garbhagriha (literal meaning "womb chamber") where the Shiva linga, the phallic emblem of Shiva is deified. The sanctum sanctorum is surrounded by interlinked passages which also have side and front balconies. Due to inadequate natural light in the balconies the sanctum has very little light thus creating a "cave like atmosphere" which is in total contrast to the external parts of the temple.[4][13][17][18] In the interior halls of the temple and on its exterior faces there are elaborately carved sculptures of gods and goddesses, musicians and apsaras or nymphs.[4] The huge pillars of the halls have architectural features of the "vine or scroll motif". In the corners of the halls there are insets which are carved on the surface with incised patterns.[14] There is a main tower above the sanctum and there are two other towers above the other mantapas also in the shape of "semi-rounded, stepped, pyramidal form with progressively greater height". The main tower is encircled by a series of interlinked towers and spires of smaller size.[19] These are in the form of a repeated subset of miniature spires that abut a central core which gives the temple an unevenly cut contour similar to the shape of a mountain range of mount Kailasa of the Himalayas where god Shiva resides, which is appropriate to the theme of the temples here.[18]
The exterior surfaces of the temples are entirely covered with sculptures in three vertical layers.[4] Here, there are horizontal ribbons carved with images, which shine bright in the sun light, providing rhythmic architectural features. Among the images of gods and heavenly beings, Agni, the god of fire is prominent.[14] They are niches where erotic sculptures are fitted all round which are a major attraction among visitors. Some of these erotic sculptures are very finely carved and are in mithuna (coitus) postures with maidens flanking the couple, which is a frequently noted motif. There is also a "male figure suspended upside" in coitus posture, a kind of yogic pose, down on his head.[4] The niches also have sculptures of Saptamatrikas, the septad of mother goddesses along with the gods Ganesha and Virabhadra. The seven fearful protector goddesses include: Brahmi seated on a swan of Brahma; Maheshwari with three eyes seated on Shiva's bull Nandi; Kumari; Vaishnavi mounted on Garuda; the boar-headed Varahi; the lion-headed Narasimhi and Chamunda, the slayer of demons Chanda and Munda.[4]
Before I get into the title of this picture, if you have a minute, please listen to a phone call to Officer Fanone, while he testifying at the Jan 6th hearings. It gives you great insight of what is really happening in America.
Here are a few link to it: www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/07/28/michael-f...
www.cbsnews.com/news/michael-fanone-dc-police-officer-vul...
www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/d-c-officer-michael-fan...
www.tmz.com/2021/07/28/michael-fanone-voicemail-hate-fill...
Now ask yourself; how did that man get his cell phone number? Really, just think a minute. This brave officer put his life on the line to defend our Nations Capitol and our Incompetent Law makers against a riot, an insurgence. He’s being called during a hearing, threatened, told he and all his colleges should have been KILLED!
Welcome to the Dark Side of America. The world of Gang Stalkers, Community Mobbers in America. This is the daily life of a Targeted Individual, in the United States. You can be Targeted for many things. You could anger a neighbor. You could tactfully address shortcomings in the workplace. You could be a far better worker than others. You could anger someone in an RV Park, or out Boondocking. You could be an Official Whistle Blower or an Unofficial one. You could be criminal, or on parole. In today's America; you fart loud enough to piss someone off and you could be Targeted.
This Mobbing, Targeting Culture has been going on for DECADES. Those of us in the Whistleblower and Targeting Community; have gone around in circles trying to get someone to listen, to believe the TRUTH. As I stated in my last post “Telling the Truth”. We’ve used our chain of commands, we have pleaded with our Elected Officials, we’ve pleaded with Law Enforcement, even the most corrupt Law Enforcement Agency in American History; the FBI. They have know about America’s Mobbing Culture, Gang Stalking, Community Mobbing and Direct Energy Weapons (Yes, I said Direct Energy Weapons), for DECADES! Its been called the "Havana Syndrom" . You may have seen current news; on CIA and Government officials being hit with Direct Energy Weapons. They have had hundreds of complaints from Government employees. The CIA is supposedly looking into it. We in the Whistleblower, Targeted Community have been addressing these same ATTACKS FOR DECADES. AGAIN, to the FBI, our ELECTED OFFICIALS and LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT. YET, MANY OF US RECEIVE THEM DAILY! WE ARE AMERICAN CITIZENS, ON AMERICA SIOL! But, as you saw from the Jan 6th Hearings, anything is possible.
I myself have gone through all channels, even the FBI Office in Fresno, CA. It’s an office that participates in this type of harassment and devastation. The type of DEVASTATION that DESTROYS the lives of AMERICAN CITIZENS. I know its a bold statement, but it’s TRUE! Do I think all Law Enforcement Officers are corrupt? Of course not. But, many in power are.
Let me just give you an average day of a Targeted Individual, in America.
I’m woke about an hour before I want to get up. Someone is extremely revving the engine, of an over sized pick-up truck. I can’t get back to sleep. I’m exhausted , some jerk was revving an ATV right in front of our Motorhome, just I went to bed. It went on for quit some time. I’m lucky to have a few hours sleep. I make a pot of coffee and get ready for my day. I take my dog out to use the bathroom. As I do; people start riding and driving by on bikes, motorcycles, ATVs or big trucks. I’m out Boondocking on Public land, in the middle of nowhere, miles from anyone. But give them a day or two and they show up. Poor Koda is trying to poo and he’s being bombarded with noise and people. I’m used to it and he’s starting to. I just tell him its good training. He receives this treatment each and every time I take him out. This started in Gand Junction, Colorado; soon after I adopted him.
When Koda was being harassed in an RV Park, in Grand Junction; I called their police office. A Sergeant came out, looked at some of the evidence I had. He took my information, told me if it continued; to take video (which I already had), and call him. Not only did it continue; it intensified and they started using young children and Toddlers. I called the Police office repeatedly. I left a voicemail for the Sergeant; informing him that I had more video and that these people were using children to harass Koda. No one followed-up. I was trying to use the Grand Junction VA Hospital. It was so Toxic and Dis-functional, I left and ended up near Phoenix. I tried Prescott, but it was a shit show too.
This type of harassment continued in Arizona, throughout the winter. Once the temperature started rising, I headed back to Colorado. This time I would try the Eastern Slope. You can see and what happened North of Durango, in my previous post “Telling the Truth”. Once I got off that mountain, we ended up at the Boulder County Fair Grounds. They had what they call a camping area, for RVs. I stayed there for two weeks trying find a VA facility where, I could receive some follow-up care. During those two weeks; the Longmont Humane Society Shelter, used young adults and their stray animals to Mob, Stalk and Harass Koda and I. One day, they even had a Police Officer set in her vehicle at the stables and watch. These people were setting up left and right as I try and walk daily. I walked up to her vehicle after being chased down by a young man, asked her if she saw it. She said no, (she was setting right their in her vehicle), I informed her of Shelter Staff and Volunteers, harassing Koda each and every time I took him out. Once I informed her of this, she left. Seriously, they would be waiting for Koda to come out each and every day, so they could Mob, Stalk, Bait and Harass us. Now, here in the Wilderness of Wyoming, and it continues.
We go inside and all quiets down. I make breakfast and as set down to eat; more of the same shows up. This time its parents with little kids in their laps, American fags flying from their Side-by-Sides.
Then a helicopter flies directly over us, just a few hundred feet. This is not just for breakfast, but for every meal, everyday of my life. Not the helicopter every meal, but the noise campaigns. The helicopter started back up here in Wyoming, and has buzzed me at both camps I’ve stayed at so far, in the area.
The make-a-meal idiots (I call them), started when I was working and living in Yosemite National Park. People, mostly my coworkers, would walk pass my door or a window to my residence and put on this loud, extreme, fake cough. This happened at every meal, every day. If I ate at work, one of the concessionaires or a picnic area; I’d get the same treatment. I’ve had people walk behind me, do this so intensely; I’d get spit on my neck. Some would do in in face.
This is called BAITING; in hopes you will act out and be recorded doing so.
This didn’t stop until the Pandemic hit and people were being charged for it. It recently picked back up here in Wyoming, when I go into town to do laundry, do some shopping.
I’ve had breakfast, so I get ready to go into town for VA Lab work, and pick up parts for my frig and Motorhome. As I do; the ATVs start buzzing by, some even slowing down right in front of the Motorhome, then revving engines and speeding off. This is another intense Noise Campaign, hoping I get flustered, lose my train of thought and forget something.
I’m on a small highway heading to town. I pull up to a stop sign and I am blocked and mobbed from all sides by big trucks, some with American flags. I pull off the side of the road and wait for the Billy-Bobs to leave. I get to town, pull into a parking lot to have my blood drawn for lab work. This is a VA Mobile Clinic. I take Koda over to a grassy area to use the bathroom. As I do, a man drives by, giving us an evil stare down. He pulls beside the Mobil Clinic and parks. I’m 20 minutes early, so Koda and I take our time. The guy sets in his SUV, until we walk towards the clinic. He then gets out of his vehicle, wearing a red hat (these perps use certain colors as stimuli and recognition). He rushes ahead of us and stalls the guy at the door steps, and starts asking him questions; keeping us from going in. I call these skits. We go inside the clinic, the guy has me set down. Koda lays at my left side and he starts getting agitated, its not normal. He keeps looking at the door to his left and I asked the man if there was someone in there. He said yes, there’s someone in there with a couple small dogs. Koda stayed where he was, but didn’t like it to well.
We leave and head to the UPS Store. I’m headed down a 4 lane street, in the left lane. People keep pulling in front of me from the right lane, coming to a stop, to make a left turn. This happens 3 times within 4 blocks. I am left waiting behind them, as they wait for car after car, coming from the other way. I get to the UPS Store and I guy pulls out and blocks the entrance. As he finally leaves, a car coming from the other direction turns in quickly. There’s only one parking spot, so I take it. I pull beside a woman setting in her SUV. She waits until I start to get Koda out, then rushes ahead of me. Not only her, but the other woman that pulled in just ahead of me.
Koda and I go in, stand in line and wait. There are people working two registers as we stand in line. A guy to our left grabs a big sheet of paper (I’m talking 2 feet by maybe 3 feet). He start flipping it into the air, then rolls it up as loudly as he can. Koda is waiting calmly at my side. The guy then walks over closer to Koda, with a new sheet of paper, gives him the stare-down, starts doing the same with that sheet. It was just another skit, trying to get Koda worked up. Now, I’m next to be waited on. One of the register staff leaves, so I’m left waiting again. Another person comes to that register. As I step up to it, my phone starts ringing. Its the Social Security Administration. I just received the same recorded call from them an hour ago. I try to shut the ringer off, but my phone is not responding, its a new S21. It continues to ring and I wait until it finishes and goes to voicemail. I told young guy, I had a package from Amazon to pickup. He looks around forever and says he can’t find it. I said; it shows it was delivered today. He then fumbles around for a while longer and pulls it from a bin that was in front of him the whole time. I pay the $5 holding fee they charge and left the store. As soon as we stepped out the door, we were blocked by a woman. We get in the car, start to back up and the woman parked beside of us backs up causing me to stop. I waited, she then pulls forward into the same spot. She’s thinking I’m going back in because I have one item missing, that I don’t know of yet.
We head to a fast food restaurant to get lunch. I place a simple menu order; a number 1, plus 4 piece Chicken Nuggets for Koda. They get my order wrong. We pull over to a parking lot next door to eat our lunch. As we start to eat; big pickup trucks start pulling in, revving their motors, (one a diesel, filling the air with thick dark smoke). A woman pulls up behind us, lights a cigarette, hangs it out the window, upwind.
We leave and head to Walmart. I get the same road stalling tactics. We pull into the parking lot, I’m getting Koda out of the car and a woman right in front of us, lights a cigarette, upwind. A big truck backs right up to us, stops, intentually filling the air with exhaust. He then speeds off, leaving more exhaust.
We head into the store. As we walk through the first door, an employee grabs a shopping cart, uses it making a big circle and blocks us. He then starts touching a large black object in his ear. A lot of times the cart blocking is done in the parking lot, with a large string of carts. They will us them to block me as I come and go. I’ve recorded this over and over; employees using a large string of carts to block me as I come in, or leave. After the employee puts the cart away; he rushes ahead of us, so he can be seen touching the black object, in his ear again, as we pass. It could have been an ear bud, who knows, but this is done for psychological effect, wanting me to think I’m being recorded (which I am 24/7). Three people rush from the right with shopping carts, as I get ready to enter the store area. They stop right in front of me; blocking me completely from entering the store. The same employee watching my reaction the whole time.
We go to the electronics section to get ink for my printer. There’s a woman there standing in front of the ink cartridges. She walks back and forth, as Koda lay at my feet. That’s what he’s trained to do, when I stand in an are for a while. I find the cartridge I need, but its extremity expensive. I see a printer on sale for around the same price, so I bought it with an extra cartridge. That cartridge was a lot cheaper than the one for my current printer. While I looking at cartridges and the printers, there was a guy a distance away watching. I grab the items I want, and head to the register. The guy that was hanging out behind me; rushes to the register ahead of me and starts asking questions. This is another stall campaign. Just like I received at the UPS store. There were two employees at the registers, but one walks away as I approach. This is store after store, gas stations, restaurants, you name it; there is no shortage of Americans willing to hate, stalk, bait and harass. This is done in hopes I act out so it can be recorded. It also gives other perps time to set up; for more types of baiting and harassment. I pay for my items in electronics and go to leave the store. As I walk down a mail aisle; the woman that was waiting by the printer ink; waits in a side aisle to push her cart out in front of us. As she does, a guy watching us (Koda & I), has phone in hand texting. He gives me a dirty stare-down as I turn around and look at the woman, once she passes. I look right at him and said “Never mind me Sir, I’m just documenting me being harassed in Walmart”. That turned his face to red. As I leave the store, people are stepping from aisles, phones in hand texting. This skit is overacted by many; striving for their daily dose of sociopathic needs. As I exit the store; I’m block by another person with a shopping cart, cutting across in front of us. We leave and head back to camp. As we do, we get the same; people pull in front of us, then stop to make a left or right turn. This continued to happen until we get to the freeway.
Once at camp (we are boondocking in a National Forest), we go in, I open the package and one item is missing. Its the gas control unit for my Motorhome refrigerator. The part that I really needed. I ordered the part through Amazon, along with an exterior light fixture. I selected the deliver in same package, same day option. The UPS Store I use for pick-up charges $5 per package, for pick-up. I don’t have a mail box there. The day I ordered the parts, I contacted Amazon Customer Service, to make sure they would arrive in one package. My last order, I selected the same option, but it came in two package and cost me $10 to pick them up. When I spoke to Customer Service, the young man took forever, but did tell me the packages would be delivered the same day, in the same package. They didn’t. I called Amazon, to find out where my part was. It took me several dropped calls and a couple messages saying the call back option is temporary unavailable. It took me forever to get to Customer Service Rep, then a while to speak a manager. I told what happened and she told me the part was delivered, but not in one package, bla, bla, bla.
I get Koda in the car, to head back to town to get my parts. Just as we get ready to pull out, a bunch of kids show up on motorcycles, followed by their dad (I’m guessing Dad), as I pull out of camp, they stop in the middle of the road, right in front of me. Really, they come to a complete stop, 4 of them stretched out, blocking me completely from passing. I finally get around them and the older man yells Fuck You! I had another young guy on a motorcycles the night before; yell the same thing as he spun off pulling wheelies, in front of our Motorhome. I’m a bit pissed, having to go back into town; and I’m mobbed and blocked by motorcycles. This is how these guys operate, they push your buttons 24/7, 365, hoping you will break. There are many that do; and that’s why we have so much WORKPLACE VIOLENCE. I don’t condone it, but it’s been documented by many in the Psychology Community. Just check out some Workplace Mobbing, Harassment in the Workplace books.
We get back to the UPS Store and another woman rushes in in front of us. We go in and there’s only one person at the registers. Then the same you guy who gave me the last package comes out. I told him I had another package, he walks over to a bin as if he knew where it was, pulled it and gave it to me.
It was right where he looked the last time, the Amazon Prime Package stuck out like a sore thumb.
He wanted to charge me another $5. I said, I had to drive anther 50 miles (round trip), to come back and get this package and your going to charge me another $5. He pauses for a moment, then says “Its Free”. I thanked him and we left.
When we get on the National Forest Road, the first cattle grate we came to; has a couple in a Side-by-Side (Its the larger ATVs), rushing to the cattle grate. I slowed down, they did too, I waited, then they stopped just before the gate, so I crossed. After getting pass them, I come across the same guy the had the kids with Motorcycles. This is miles from my camp. He’s stopped in the road, kids too, working on his motorcycle. This time they only took half the road, but here comes a big 5th wheel to take up the other half passing them. After recording this Stupidfest, I proceed to camp. I come up to another cattle grate, and there’s an SUV rushing towards it, causing me to stop. I wait for them to pass, then head back to camp.
Once back at camp; I start to replace the part on the frig, which has outside access. As I do; the motorcycles, trucks and ATVs show up. They’re revving their engines, making so mush noise; it’s hard to even think. I need to get the part in before the storm hits. It didn’t take to long to get it in, and frig is running like new. I’m as happy as a lark, but it’s short lived. I take Koda out because he has to Poo. As he does his pre-poo routine; motorcycles show up again, right in front of the Motorhome. They’re pulling wheelies, revving engines. This is done each time I take Koda out, if we go out for a hike, play fetch, any time he’s out. They know if they harass and get Koda worked up; it harassed me. They are relentless. If we stay at a pay campground or RV park, we get the same treatment with Big Trucks and Harlies, many with American Flags waving in the air.
Koda takes his poo, gives the motorcycles his WTF look, then comes walking over to me. Koda has a lot of facial expressions, many times hilarious. He’s extremely intelligent. He comes up and nudges me when he wants something. It’s come to a point where I ask him “what do you want? show me, show me”. He will walk over to his leash, box of biscuits, his food bowl, toys and nudge then with his nose. He will also bring me a toy, jump in the passenger seat of our Motorhome, when I ask him (he loves riding up high watching everything). Once he reaches what he wants, he nudges it with his nose. He does it to me often too.
We go in and I make dinner. Just as I set down to eat; here comes the noise campaign, that’s what it is, just like the Military performs. I should know, I went through intense POW training in the Army. I was assigned to The US Joint Serves Special Operations Command, quite the mouth-full. I did live RECONS, received a butt load of medals for it. Not to brag, but to let you know where I’m coming from. I know how not to be seen, gather the information, retain and report it. I’ve even had dinner with Generals. Its "DISGRACEFUL"; I can gather secret information in other countries, be awarded medals for it in the Military, but I tell the Truth in America and thousand crawl out from their rocks, to discredit me. That’s not an exaggeration; IT’S THE TRUTH IN AMERICA.
I said above an average day for a Target; this is actually a very light day. If I told you everything, you probably wouldn’t believe most of it, or be in a state of shock. I want to get this posted, so I’m going to give you a quick insight on what will happen as I get ready for bed. The noise campaign starts back up. This is to build my anxiety up, to a point you can’t go to sleep. I’ll toss and turn for hours, then be woken by much of the same, hours before I want to wake-up.
There are thousands of documented Whistleblowers receiving this kind of harassment, mobbing and life destruction. There have been thousands of us reporting this harassment, mobbing, staking and attacks from Direct Energy Weapons; to the FBI. We have been reporting it for DECADES. Where have they been? Maybe, the same place they were at during the Jan 6th Riots and Insurgence.
Imagine telling your family this. You try and tell your family, you show them some evidence; audio, pictures, videos. They are still in disbelief, this is America, this can’t happen here. IT DOES, EVERY DAY!
Is this the America you want your child to grow up in? Where trying to do the right thing, tell the TRUTH; destroys there life. They become a Target, are watched 24/7 (even in the privacy of their home), Stalked, Mobbed, Baited, Harassed, attacked with Direct Energy Weapons, their personal property tampered with, destroyed or stolen. This is what is happening to United States Citizens, on American Soil, everyday. Again, the FBI is fully aware of it but does nothing. No one is held accountable, so it continues day after day, year after year, across State Lines. These people are your neighbors, your coworkers, some; you think of as friends, some even a family member. These are the types of people storming our Capital. They are not going to stop. They may change their tactics but they will continue, until they are held accountable. There is a lot more I haven’t mentioned, like; the Street Theater and Gas Lighting. I’m a bit drained and I will cover those at a different time.
If you still don’t believe me; please listen to the message left on Officer Fanone’s voice mail again.
I have the evidence to prove everything I’ve written, but who do I give it to? It seems no one with authority wants it, or cares. If you know someone that truely cares and WILL DO SOMETHING; please send them my way.
Now that I’ve posted this, I’ll be waiting for the Storm of Retaliation, Hate, Harassment, Mobbing, Stalking, Baiting, Belittling, Defaming and Direct Energy Attacks. It will not detour me from continually exposing the TRUTH in AMERICA.
My name is Rick Pineiro. If you want to know the TRUTH, just ask me.
I have Hundreds, maybe Thousands. I call the FBI to inform them of Domestic Terrorism (I have definitive proof), and they hang up on me. I was told to contact Local Law Enforcement; if you’ve read through my post, you know how that goes. They all have excuses; its just a big circle of Plausible Deniability. I want to repeat this before I go into the description: I inform the FBI of Domestic Terrorism and I’m abruptly hung up on me. And, we wonder how Jan 6th could have happened; when the FBI was fully aware of the Threat. Now, do you know what I mean, about Selective Policing in America.
The picture you see, is one of the many people that Stalk, Bait and Harass; my Service Dog and I.
We moved camp today. While I was packing up at the last camp; we received a Convoy of Hate before we pulled out. One man went as far as putting on a Red Jump Suit, stands up on his motorcycle as he passed. This was because Koda was up front, looking out the window, as I loaded the car on it’s dolly.
Now, here at our new camp, many, many miles from our last camp; we are here a few minutes and Karen comes walking from a Fire Lane, to watch. It is the same woman in this picture, but she didn’t have the dog, or backpack. She came up to a fork, that could be seen from our camp. I was setting up the solar panels, Koda was tied to the front side of the Motorhome. She stood at the fork, doing something to cause Koda to growl. When I came around front she stopped. I have it on Video.
Hours later, I was playing fetch with Koda, he was having to much fun: the same woman drags this poor old dog, up the Fire Lane. She does this, so it and she could be seen by Koda. This was just an act to get him excited (he loves to play with other dogs). She literally pulled and yelled at the dog she had; the poor thing could not keep up. Take a good look at it. I have pictures of it all. She was in a hurry to spread her hate. These people could care less about a dog, or their own children it seems. They use children often to harass Targets.
This is a prime Example of people involved in Domestic Terrorism. You Can call it Gang Stalking, Community Stalking, Community Policing; it is Actually Domestic Terrorism. These people spread nothing but Fear, Hate, Intimidation, Mobbing and Terror. They even teach children to do so. Once we were set up; it didn’t take long for the same people that Stormed pass our camp, show up here. One man in a Red Jeep, pulled up on a hill a couple hundred yards behind us and Watched us. . It was just another attempt of Intimidation. It didn’t work….
Direct Energy Weapons are used during this Stalking, Mobbing, Baiting and Hating. Not every time, but they are used. I know its a bold statement, but its the TRUTH. Many Government Employees, along with CIA Agents have reported being Attacked by these Weapons (Havana Syndrome). For years our Government turned its back on them. Now the CIA is supposed to be investigating it. We know how that will go. And, the FBI, apparently doesn’t want to hear about it. BUT, they are doing nothing for the Average American Citizen.
I could care less what others think of my statements. I have TWO thing on my side; TRUTH and HISTORY. History does expose the truth, and one day I’ll be vindicated. If someone you know, is a victim of this type of Domestic Terrorism; please give them the benefit of doubt. Don’t turn your back on them; like our Local/Federal Law Enforcement and Government. “Disgusting”, is and understatement.
I’m not against Law Enforcement, I am against Selective Policing and Cover-up….
As I post this on Flickr, an ATV stops with rows of bright lights, in front of our Motorhome.
You still have trouble believing, read this: www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&s...
Thanks for visiting our photostream
A story in two parts.
We came across this mural at Wellington Point, a pretty bayside suburb of Redlands (City) which is to the southeast of Brisbane and makes up what is today the Greater Brisbane area. Being a bayside suburb you just may wish to pack your suitcase for a short stay. Redlands has a number of Points poking out into Moreton Bay, Wellington Point is linked by an isthmus that is covered at high tide to King Island. You can walk out at low tide, the island is very small but you may need tough feet as the beach sand and shells tend to be on the coarse side. And it’s must be nearly a kilometre...in the hot sun depending on tides!
The mural also features a number of the seabirds typical of the area.
And in the bottom, a suitcase. And old suitcase. You can tell an older Queenslander almost anywhere in the world because they will call this suitcase a “port”! When I was younger, every bag nearly was known as a port. In fact, the bag you took your lunch and school books to school in was typically called a school port and in those days at least, most schools had racks outside the classroom in which to place your port. These were known as “port racks”. I guess these days they may have lockers and if they don’t, I am not up with what they call the racks.
With changes over time, we now have back packs and other things, so the use of “school port” has probably dropped off. Perhaps those racks are called back pack racks! Ha, funny!
In addition, the use of the word port, for the same reason is dying out to a degree and a large port would now be called a suitcase or something else. Despite growing up in Queensland where the word port was standard, from the moment I became a posh overseas traveller at about 20, I realised it was very colloquial and parochial and stopped using it lest I be seen as some back country hick from Australia. But wait, there is more!
It’s really not so crass after all, the contraction “port” comes from the word portmanteau which is actually quite a proper international word basically meaning large suitcase (depending on what dictionary you use) and as such very proper indeed although in itself in this use, out of use! So we Queenslanders are not such hicks after all.
Here is one link which outlines the non-Queensland use of the word portmanteau in its various forms. Of course, a port these days is mostly where ships dock! We have one just across the Bay from Wellington Point called naturally enough, the Port of Brisbane!
Oops, I almost forgot to put a plug in for Wellington Point. Apart from the area around the Point itself, a great little village with lots of nice cafes and restaurants etc. has developed along the road in about 2 kilometres back from the beach. A great place to stop for a coffee and some calorific tarts or cakes and in the season from before Christmas on, the whole area is studded with beautiful red flowering poinciana trees.
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Photograph taken at an altitude of Sixty two metres at 12:31pm on an overcast summer afternoon on Thursday 15th July 2021, off Chessington Avenue in Bexleyheath, Kent.
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THE HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE OF PIGEONS
The Feral pigeon (Columba livia) gets a really bad name thanks to a whole bunch of popular misconceptions. Labelled as sky rats, flying ashtrays, rats with wings, there is even a name for extreme fear of them, peristerophobia.
Some say they spread communicable disease to humans, a myth banded by pest control companies making money out of extermination, and although they can naturally carry some disease like tuberculosis (just like many other bird species), being able to breed up to six times per year and being so commonly seen has lead to the belief that they cause damage and drive other species away (again, no scientific evidence supports this). Seen as a plague by mankind, who is... er... the biggest plague on the planet after all and more likely to infect pigeons with his own germs!
Being common these days seems to make some animals less appealing than others, and yet the pigeon is culturally and historically significant and utterly beautiful in terms of plumage. When was the last time you took the time to spend a few moments in the company of these gorgeous, fascinating birds, or talked to one.... Well do so soon, your life will be all the better for such interactions.
In world terms, Pigeons represent peace and good, symbolizing Prosperity and fertility, luck, fortune, peace and harmony, love and devotion and beauty and piety. It is believed that the Pigeon totem as your animal spirit guide will enter a good persons life after a period of suffering or hurt, restoring faith and the good in their world. It will symbolize Love and kindness, sacrifice and devotion, calmness and tranquility.
Their presence in dreams can have significant meaning if the dream is of catching one, killing one, a pigeon falling in the sky, finding a dead pigeon etc. Pablo Ruiz Picasso's 1949 lithograph on paper 'La Colombe', shows a white dove on a black background, widely considered a sign of peace. It was used to illustrate a poster at the 1949 Paris Peace Congress, and is now house in the Tate Gallery, London. The Lithograph went on to become a renowned international iconographic image referred to as 'The dove of peace'. The dove was in fact a Milanese pigeon which had been gifted to Picasso by friend and fellow artist Henri Émile Benoît Matisse.
They are a wild ancestor of domestic world pigeons. A common sight in UK gardens, and traditionally seen on London postcards of Piccadilly circus until the feeding of pigeons was banned around the year 2000, they can weigh up to 370g (8-13oz) with a wingspan of 34cms. There are approximately 550,000 breeding pairs in the UK, and they are protected by The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and happily on the Green status for conservation
With a name taken from the Latin word for Dove, there are around 350 recorded types of pigeon, the commonest being the Feral pigeon with an estimated European population of around 15 million. Feral pigeons are also called city doves, city pigeons, or street pigeons. They make up part of the group of columbiformes which includes the now extinct Dodo to which they are closely related. Wild pigeons live in coastal areas, whilst feral pigeons are more urban, and more often than not found in close proximity to mankind. Feral pigeons have a lifespan usually of between three to five years, much longer in captivity. Pigeons have an incredibly close link to mankind
Technically they are: Kingdom:Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class:Aves Order: Columbiformes
Family:Columbidae Genus:Columba Species:C. livia Subspecies:C. l. domestica
In the UK, Pigeons are covered under the "General Licences" and therefore it is illegal to kill them or destroy pigeon nests for any reason other than those listed under the general licences. They can be humanely culled by the land owner or their agent for a variety of reasons (mainly crop protection). At commercial premises where I worked for many years, Pigeons and babies were professionaly killed on a regular basis, shot with high powered air rifles and then heads dippeds into an acid substance... it was very bloody and extremely unpleasant to witness!
They are possibly the first domesticated animal in history and Charles Robert Darwin was one of the first and most famous pigeon breeder, who recognised their beauty and abilities and place in the natural order of things. On board HMS Beagle, he sailed from Plymouth Sound on 27th December 1831 under the command of Captain Robert FitzRoy. Scheduled for a two year voyage, it actually returned on 2nd October 1836. He published his work, 'On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life', in 1859 and it has long been considered the foundation of evolutionary biology. In the opening of the work, Darwin began with 'fancy pigeons' which were becoming fashionable to own and exhibit in London at the time.
By crossbreeding the many different species of fancy pigeon, Darwin showed that, contrary to a commonly held belief that there were two different species which spawned the multitude of domestic pigeons, they actually all came from one wild species: the Rock Dove (Columba livia).
Nathan Mayer Rothschild developed a system of communication faster than those of most governments at that time. It is believed that he used carrier pigeons and semaphore to communicate across the English Channel. Following the Battle of Waterloo he used this system to stunning effect. Through a clever stratagem, and foreknowledge of the outcome at Waterloo, Rothschild made an immense fortune by manipulating the London stock market.
Then In the early 1800s the Rothschild family set up a network of pigeon lofts throughout Europe using homing pigeons to carry information between its financial houses. This proved to be the fastest and most efficient method of communication at that time, and the speed of the service and the ability to send and receive information ahead of the competition helped the Rothschild family amass a fortune, which still exists today. There are medals from 1870 commemorating the pigeon post in Paris.
Pigeons are highly intelligent, one of the few birds who can actually recognise themselves in a mirror, tests proving that they were capable of identifying themselves over other pigeons in photographs even with a five to seven second delay and they could even recognize humans in photographs as well. Proving that their self cognitive abilities were higher than a three year old child (who struggled with photographic recognition of a two second delay), pigeons were trained to discriminate real-time self-image using mirrors as well as videotaped self-image, and proved that pigeons can recognize video images that reflect their movements as self-image.
They proved themselves capable of being able to learn the alphabet in trials. They have been used to predict the weather with hearing far superior to that of humans in the very low frequency range that allows them to detect incoming storms not yet on the radar. They can assist in message delivery, help in search and rescue missions and even carry wartime messages across enemy lines, dating back to Greek and Roman times, and then forwards to both World Wars by the British Intelligence.
During the first world war, pigeons were dropped from an aeroplane in batches in harnesses with parachutes in order to send and retrieve messages from the resistance. A male pigeon in 1918 named Cher Ami was awarded the Croix de Guerre, an honour bestowed on foreign troops by the French Army, after saving 194 US troops who were pinned down by enemy fire. Despite being shot several times, he still managed to deliver the message attached to him. In history pigeons have been recorded as far back as 3000BC and records show that in the 5th Century AD, both Egypt and Syria used them to send and receive messages. Greek poet Anacreon wrote poems of his tame pigeon over 2000 years ago in which he described the bird's role in carrying a love letter to the poet's lover and how the bird drank from his cup and ate from his hand.
Some scholars believe that man's connections with pigeons go as far back as Neolithic man 10,000 years ago. An archaeological discovery of lifelike pigeon images beside the figurines of the Mother goddess, dating from the Bronze Age (2400-1500 BC) in Sumerian Mesopotamia, links to worship also in Crete where the Goddess was depicted with Doves upon her head. Pigeons were also sacrificed to Aphrodite (Venus), the Goddess of love in Greco-Roman culture. The Dove was also the symbol of Demeter (Ceres). Astarte, goddess of fertility and love was often times depicted with a pigeon in ancient Phoenician tradition and Ishtar, mother to the Sumerian people also. Goddesses Aphrodite and Venus from Greek and Roman culture were similarly often depicted with symbolic pigeons. They are highly revered in religions including Hindi where it was believed that pigeons were messengers of deity of death, Yama.
Also in Muslim and Sikh traditions as well as Christianity. Some Sikhs will ceremoniously feed pigeons in honour of Guru Gobind Singh, a high priest who was renowned as a friend to pigeons. The Old Testament dove of Noah and the New Testament dove of the Holy Spirit are the ancestors of the dovecote birds of the past and today’s urban pigeons. In China, it is believed that with the coming of Spring, a Sparrow hawk would transform into a pigeon and vice versa, repeating the opposite transformation at the end of the season.
Pigeons have been recorded flying at more than 92mph and the average speed is around 78mph, they can also reach altitudes of 6,000 feet. Contrary to the rumour mill, pigeons are very clean birds and very little evidence exists to show that they can spread disease to humans.
Generally pigeons mate for life and are monogamous, both incubate and care for their young, and they are amazingly social creatures found in large groups. Pigeons have also saved lives on sinking ships by being released to alert nearby people, and some pigeons have received honours and awards for their part in saving lives. They have been trained to save lives at sea by recognising the red and yellow life jackets of victims, and even being able to view the UV spectrum. They can use landmarks to recognise and retrace routes, and use the sun as as a guide and an internal magnetic compass.
During a study in 2016, four pigeons built up a vocabulary of between 26 and 58 written English words, they could identify visual patterns and therefore tell them apart. The birds could even identify words they hadn't seen before.
Researchers at University of California Davis Medical Center put 16 pigeons in a room with magnified biopsies of potential breast cancers. If the pigeons correctly identified them as either benign or malignant, they got a treat, Once trained, their percentages of correctly identifying the biopsies was between 85-99% accurate.
Pigeons have been recorded regularly using the subway in the United states of America, hoping on and off subway cars and seeming to understand the direction of the journey. They also on occasions perform aerial backflips, seemingly just for fun. They see the world with five spectral bands, a kaleidoscope of colour compared to humans triple system of colour perception.
These are magnificent birds that so often fall victim to mankind's prejudice and dislike. Take a look at their ornate, beautiful plumage, the many markings and differences in coloration, and think about their history and the incredible journey they have made through the centuries.
Give them some love, they have certainly earned it!
Paul Williams May 2021
©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams)
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HP 110-352na Desktop PC with AMD Quad-Core A6-5200 APU 64Bit processor. Radeon HD8400 graphics. 8 GB DDR3 Memory with 1TB Data storage. 64-bit Windows 10. Verbatim USB 2.0 1TB desktop hard drive. WD My Passport Ultra 1tb USB3 Portable hard drive. Nikon ViewNX-1 64bit Version 1.4.1 (18/02/2020). Nikon Capture NX-D 64bit Version 1.6.2 (18/02/2020). Nikon Picture Control Utility 2 (Version 2.4.5 (18/02/2020). Nikon Transfer 2 Version 2.13.5. Adobe photoshop Elements 8 Version 8.0 64bit.
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[UPDATE 10/23/11
Thank you to everyone who has looked at our project! The response has been completely overwhelming. We were itching to launch another one but after seeing the feedback, it makes us that much more excited to get it done. The next launch will be about 2 weeks from now, and that payload will have a video camera along for the ride as well! We've sorted out all the issues we had on this run, so all the images should be usable. Thank you again for all of the support and stay tuned for more images in the future!]
This is what space looks like from a weather balloon. We're working on determining exactly what altitude we got to, but I'd put it somewhere near 100,000 feet.
You can see about half of the city of Lubbock along the bottom of the photo just right of center.
We launched our little spacecraft (Cygnus) at 9:02am from 33° 49' 28"N 102° 53' 56"W, and it touched back down to Earth at 11:56am at 33° 19' 21"N 101° 59' 42"W. 62 miles from where it was released. This image was taken 1 hour and 55 minutes into the flight.
The camera was traveling in a styrofoam beer cooler from Wal Mart. The cooler was lifted into space using a 22 foot weather balloon filled with Helium. A parachute was attached to the cooler to slow and stabilize the fall of the cooler when the balloon eventually popped from lack of air pressure as it rose closer to the vacuum of space.
There were some issues with frost building up on the plexiglass shield and it actually ruined most of the images. Live and learn I suppose. We'll get it down next time. Most people we've seen do this online take 3-6 months of planning and preparation before they launch something. We did it in 13 days. I guess it's only fitting that we overlooked something. I'm just glad we found it and everything was still in one piece!
Because there was so much issue with frost, I did my best to remove it from this image. It made the curve of the Earth a little bumpy in the left half of the image, but you can see what it should look like toward the right edge.
Check out a video of the balloon being released here!
UPDATE 10/19/11
We made the local news! So awesome. Check out the story here. (I'll update this link if I get a higher quality video)
Author's Note: The contents of this chapter include very sensitive subject matter and may be triggering to some individuals. Scenes of abuse of various forms are represented as not only for storytelling, but to raise awareness of what this behavior looks like. Abusive behavior in this story includes, but is not limited to: physical abuse, mental abuse, verbal abuse, gaslighting, manipulation, intentional triggering of another's PTSD, and trauma. In no way are these scenes intended to purposely trigger or harm anyone.
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"...Vincent, it's me! Open the door! I need to talk to you now!"
After such an exciting (though socially exhausting) day, hearing Damien's persistent tone on the other side of the door caused him to tense as if he'd been doused with cold water. This was not how he would have liked to end his day! He really didn't want to deal with Damien right now, but he couldn't pretend he wasn't home anymore. He'd hoped Damien would have let him know before coming over. Vincent already felt a stress-headache coming on. He put the safety back on his pistol and gave a soft sigh. He could do this.
But as Vincent reached for the lock so he could let Damien in, the door was knocked on again! Vincent stared at the door and scowled. Well, that was rude of him, he thought sourly. He was sorely tempted to leave Damien out there even longer but then Damien called through the door again, "Come on, Vincent! Don't leave me out here like this. I thought you said you wanted to talk this out!"
Inhaling sharply through his nose, Vincent grit his teeth. Damien didn't need to make such a loud commotion for the whole building to hear! Deciding just to get this over with he let out some tension as he exhaled. Then he reached for the door, unlocked it, and pulled the door open to stare stoically up at his best friend of six years with his pistol resting at his side defenselessly.
Damien stared back at him with a look Vincent had seen many times; just never directed at him. In his interrogation mode, Damien's brows furrowed deeply and eyes darkened a certain way that could send chills down the spine of almost anyone who received it. His arms were folded over his chest and, in Vincent's opinion, he looked more impatient than he'd ever seen him. Vincent, however, was not like most people, and he maintained his stoic exterior. But oh, he was offended! Who the Hell did Damien think he was?! He opened his mouth to put Damien in his place but Damien cut in just a tiny bit faster.
"Are you alone?" Damien demanded quietly. Vincent blinked at him with just a hint of surprise at this question. He barely had a chance to utter, "Yes?" before Damien nodded and brushed past him to enter the flat. He grunted, "Good. We have much to discuss and I don't want any interruptions this time."
"What is the meaning of this?" Vincent asked incredulously as he pushed the door closed with a groan. "I was expecting you to let me know when you were coming over first. You always let me know first." And when he turned to look at Damien, he found Damien standing nearly an arm's length away and glowering at him.
"Well, I was expecting a bit more loyalty from YOU!"
"Loyalty?!"
"Yes! Why should I do what you want me to do when you won't do what 'I' want? All I wanted to do was to talk this out....just you and me. And all anyone else can do is put their nose in where it doesn't belong."
"It had nothing to do with Aiden!"
But at the mention of their engineer's name, Damien's nostrils flared and he spat out, "See how quickly you think of 'him?' You are proving my point. No, Vincent, it has EVERYTHING to do with YOU!" He pointed his finger right at Vincent's chest and accused, "You are throwing me to the side like a discarded, rotted apple core on the side of the road for the rats! I didn't even mention anyone in particular and already your mind went to him! Aiden this! Aiden that! Why does he even matter anyway?" Damien pressed his hands to his own chest and his expression implored Vincent to see his side as he pleaded, "Don't you care about me at all, Vincent?"
Fleetingly, Vincent was amazed that Damien had the courage to behave and speak to him like this when Vincent was armed. Despite his calm exterior, he was growing more confused and upset at Damien's onslaught of unexpected feelings. However, it was as Aiden was brought up that it shifted into anger. Vincent was done. He was going to put him in his place once and for all! But damn it all Damien asked him if he cared about him at all and Vincent felt like the wind had been knocked out of him! He felt as if he couldn't focus on what he was upset about anymore as he grappled with the unexpected, emotional question.
Of course he cared about Damien! Damien was like a brother to him! He loved him as much despite their current situation. It was what made it hurt so much worse as each second of this whole interaction passed. Had....he been unfair to Damien somehow? He did want to work things out! After all, he'd gone to Damien's temporary residence as Damien had told him before many times to do if he ever needed anything. Unlike Vincent, Damien didn't care if anyone simply dropped in. Damien's sister had insisted once before that it was fine if he stopped in anytime. Honestly, he'd wondered if Damien had nudged her into it but he was grateful to be able to see his friend all the same.
"Of course, I care about you," Vincent relented as his stoic expression faded and a small, sad frown pulled at his lips. Was that how Damien felt about him? About their friendship? "That's not fair, Damien. How can you even say that after everything we've been through?"
"I can say the same about you," Damien responded with just a touch of edge in his voice as he reached out with his metallic arm and pressed his mechanical hand to the door behind Vincent and leaned in slightly; almost a touch dangerously. It made Vincent tense involuntarily as he stared back up at him. However, Damien's voice softened and he sounded and looked hurt.
"I just wanted to talk. And you sent me away."
"I-I just..."
"You just what, Vincent?"
Vincent shrank back slightly against the door and gazed up at his best friend before sighing. Finally he replied, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel like you don't matter." At his words, Damien's aggression dissipated as he smiled more. "I knew you would understand. I forgive you," Damien responded as his hand slid to squeeze Vincent's shoulder before resting there. Vincent glanced at his hand then gave a small nod before turning and brushing past Damien to head towards the veranda to get some air. As he walked past a bookshelf, he set down his gun then proceeded to run his hands through his hair. Bloody Hell...
Damien let his hand fall to his side as he turned slowly in place to visually follow Vincent's figure as he made to step outside. His eyes narrowed before he began to follow him out. Was something else wrong?
Out on the veranda, Vincent inhaled slowly and deeply through his nostrils before slowly exhaling as he glanced up at the evening sky. While he didn't mean to make Damien feel like he didn't matter, Damien's behavior as of late was....not okay. He really needed to talk to him about it. He needed to get to the bottom of it once and for all. Vincent could hear Damien following him out onto the veranda behind him. This was his chance to talk it out....just the two of them.
"Look... Damien..." Vincent turned to face Damien and he spoke sincerely as he tried to reason and understand. "I don't know what's been going on lately. I don't like this contention going on between us. I want you to talk to me. Tell me what's going on."
"There's nothing to talk about. You already apologized."
"Yes but that's not what I'm talking about."
"Then what ARE you talking about?"
"The contention going on between us lately; 'before' just the day before. Surely, you've felt it too?"
"Contention?"
"Yes. That's what I said."
"I don't know what you mean."
Damien looked genuinely confused! Vincent just couldn't understand why Damien didn't see what he was talking about. If he was being honest with himself, he had only noticed it during the last few weeks. Prior to that, they'd gotten on well enough and had always been able to work things out. It only seemed to be getting worse....and for some reason it felt like it was only around Aiden. He couldn't quite figure it out. Surely, that couldn't be it, he thought. Surely, Damien would tell him if he had a problem with Aiden! Up until the day before yesterday, the two seemed to have worked out whatever problem they had. But apparently they hadn't and something still seemed off between them even the other day. But...hadn't it always? Vincent had not forgotten what Bernadette had told him about Damien and Aiden's quarrel while he was still abed with high fever. He trusted she would never lie to him; especially about something like that. Therefore, he had taken her word that they had worked it. After all, Aiden hadn't come to him about Damien's misconduct. Was there not as big of a problem as he believed it was? Or was it just worse under the surface?
"Well," Vincent cleared his throat and began calmly, "that aside, I wanted to talk to you about something else. Just...I want to have a heart to heart, okay? Two days ago-"
"But you-"
"Don't interrupt me. Please let me finish."
Damien scowled but he closed his mouth and folded his arms over his chest defensively. However he did keep his mouth closed as he quirked his brow at Vincent and waited for whatever he was going to tell him. Opposite him, Vincent stared up at him calmly and waited for him. Once he saw Damien was actually going to listen he continued.
"Two days ago when you and I were speaking, some of the things you said to me were out of line." Vincent watched Damien's jaw tighten as his jaw clenched. Vincent felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach but tried to explain how he felt anyway. "You really hurt my feelings; especially when you accused me of being too intoxicated." And, sure enough, he'd barely had a chance to utter the last word of his sentence before Damien cut in defensively, "Well YOU hurt MY feelings!"
"I know, and I already apologized. But I still want to talk about what you-"
"You know I can't help what I say when I get angry!"
"Damien, don't you see?! THIS is what I'm talking about! We never argue like this!"
"You are just mad that I called you out on it!" He took a step closer and poked Vincent's chest which caused him to gasp in surprise! "It's not MY fault you like to overindulge in alcohol and herbs! Damn it, Vincent! You know what? Sometimes it's hard to tell if it's 'you' I'm talking to, or your addictions!"
Vincent's face fell, and for the second time this week he very nearly broke down completely. He bit his lower lip and gave a small nod before turning and facing away from Damien. He defensively folded his arms over his chest as his shoulders sank depressingly. That had hurt. It had hurt a lot. Was that really how Damien felt?
Damien sighed. He ran his hands over his face then peeked at Vincent through his fingers. Vincent still wasn't looking at him. He was just...standing there dejectedly and hurt. Frowning slightly, Damien stepped closer and placed his hand on Vincent's shoulder. At his touch, however, Vincent turned away more; clearly not wanting to be touched.
"What do you want me to say, Vincent? I'm sorry, okay?"
After several seconds of no response, Damien huffed and leaned around him and peered at the side of his face. Still nothing. In fact, Vincent turned his head away from him even more! 'Damn it all!' Damien thought. He groaned softly and leaned his forearms against the railing and leaned against it. He hung his head down slightly before glancing back at Vincent.
"Come on. You know I didn't mean that," he tried again, his voice softening. This time he sounded more sincere. "I really am sorry, Vincent. You know sometimes I say things I don't mean. Don't let this silly misunderstanding ruin what we have." At this, Vincent took a deep breath and slowly let it out before turning to glance over his shoulder at Damien, his gaze lifting towards his face but unable to meet his eyes.
"Is that what you really think of me?"
"I just said I didn't. Look, why don't we just start over and put all this behind us? We agree there have been misunderstandings and things done and said that we don't mean."
Vincent licked his lips as he considered that. Maybe Damien was right and it would be best to put it behind them and move on from it. While things had never escalated this much, they had done the same thing in the past once they reached an understanding. It always seemed to work out and they were fine again. Though, this time Aiden was a third party in this. Would things be okay with Aiden too?
"What about Aiden?"
"He will be fine! And if he can't work this out with me, it's not a big deal. He can leave just like the others did and go back to that little garage you plucked him out of." Damien gave a noncommittal shrug then confidently slid his arm around Vincent's shoulders and drew him to his side with an encouraging grin. Much to his delight he watched as Vincent lifted his gaze to finally look at him and gave a small smile and replied, "I suppose you're right."
"Of course I am!" Damien tightened his arm around Vincent's shoulders and jostled him gently with a chuckle. "You and me against the world, right?"
Vincent smiled a bit more and nodded. "Yeah, you and me against the world." Damien grinned and looked up at the sky and continued to ramble on about how he couldn't wait to get back up into the air. Beside him, Vincent's gaze lowered and he looked down at the railing. He could feel his mood sinking more and more. He couldn't help feeling like he hadn't really had a chance to get out what he wanted to say. It felt unfinished on Vincent's end but they HAD agreed it was a misunderstanding and to just move on from it. He decided to push it down and just...tuck it away. Perhaps things would just get better after all; just like Damien was saying. However, there was still something he couldn't seem to shake.
While he had voiced his agreement, the idea of Aiden leaving because he couldn't work things out with Damien made him feel even worse; somehow even worse than this unfinished business with Damien. Aiden was NOT like the handful of others who had departed from Leon's Claw. Aiden was special...important. He didn't want to see him go!
"...and in a few weeks your ribs will be healed! Guh...I'm so bored. I can't wait to get back in the air again," Damien was saying beside him. He appeared not to notice Vincent's quick-sinking depression. Perhaps it was better that way, Vincent figured. He really didn't want to upset Damien even more tonight. He was tired and growing more and more exhausted. Honestly, he just wanted to be done. He wanted to be alone. More than anything, he just wanted to escape. However, Vincent noticed Damien didn't seem ready to leave anytime soon. He'd have to do something about that.
"You're right!" Vincent replied with a small smirk, nudging Damien gently with his elbow as an idea had suddenly come to him. All he had to do was play along to keep Damien in a good enough mood. "Just a few more weeks. You're worried about being bored right? So why don't you keep yourself entertained by going to your family's gathering?" Damien opened his mouth and was about to interrupt but Vincent turned in Damien's arm and quickly added, "I know you want to stay here with me but all I'm going to be doing is sitting around. Boring. I'm boring."
"Are you trying to get rid of me?"
"I am pointing out the benefits if you go...such as the amazing food you KNOW will be there and you can share all your new adventures with everyone. It's been a long while since you've been there. You know everyone loves to hear when you tell a story! It would be fun!"
Damien gave a smug smirk and shrug as Vincent stroked his ego. He was right: everyone DID enjoy a good story and Damien had plenty to share now. The younger generations of his family all seemed to look up to him. It never failed to boost his ego.
"Honestly," Vincent continued, "you won't miss a thing. I intend to spend the next few weeks with my nose in a book."
"You'd rather choose a book over my company? How nice."
"Hmph! I keep telling you I'm not nice!"
Damien laughed and lifted his arm off of Vincent's shoulder so he could turn and face him properly as he leaned against the railing. Vincent turned fully to face him and gave him a small, amused smirk. "There are no plans except to sit and rest. Honest. No more adventures for me for a while. I am going to be resting. Bernadette's orders. Go with your sister. Go enjoy your vacation away and just have fun! You deserve it! You'll be back in three weeks from now, yes? By then my ribs should be good enough to go sailing! You and I can go together and then you can tell me all about your trip. It will give us both something to look forward to!"
"Fine," Damien finally agreed with a small chuckle. "I suppose you're right." He chuckled before he reached over his head and stretched and felt his back pop where he needed it and let himself drift off with thoughts of going to his family reunion after all.
"Good! It's decided!" Vincent agreed before Damien could change his mind. He had to fight to actually sigh with relief. While he truly did enjoy Damien's friendship, right now he really needed time away from him. It was best just to let him be happy and just...get past this for now. Maybe one day they could actually talk this out like he wanted to. He also figured that this time apart might be just what Damien and Aiden needed as well.
"Well since I'm here why don't we have dinner at The Fat Lady's? We can celebrate getting past all this messy business!" Damien was saying, but already Vincent felt his stomach lurch at the idea; especially at the mention of the tavern where Thorn and Micah had accused him of gambling. He smiled weakly and shook his head. "I appreciate the offer, but I think I will need to postpone. Why don't we celebrate tomorrow instead?"
"How come?"
"How come? Because I am not ready to go out tonight. I have a headache brewing, my ribs are aching, and I was not prepared for company let alone ready to go out in public tonight." Vincent pleaded exhaustedly. He just wanted to be left alone! And indeed, Damien finally began to see how tired Vincent looked. He did look a bit pale, didn't he? His brow furrowed in concern and asked, "Vincent, why didn't you say so? I could have just come back another time!"
Vincent fought back the knee-jerk reaction of angrily calling Damien a rather creative, colorful name. Instead, he sighed and just snorted at the irony of the situation and went to head back inside. Damien could have started with that when he first arrived! he thought.
Finally Vincent managed in a convincing voice as he paused at the door: "It's fine. Don't worry about it. Come on. I'll see you out."
NEXT PART:
www.flickr.com/photos/153660805@N05/52966552948/in/datepo...
To read the rest of the story, here's the album link:
www.flickr.com/photos/153660805@N05/albums/72157717075565127
***Please note this is a BOY LOVE (BL/yaoi/gay) series. It is a slow burn and rated PG13!***
Special thank you to my husband Vin (Be My Mannequin? Pose Store) for collaborating with me on this series and co-starring as The Captain!
DISCORD SERVER: That's right! The Captain and The Engineer has a Discord Server! If you wanna join and chat with other crewmates and see what's new and happening before it gets posted to Flickr, click the link!
***NEW!!!!***
The Captain and the Engineer now has a FACEBOOK PAGE! Please come Like, Follow, and join the crew! Thank you so much for all your support!
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Ikeda Junior & Senior High School: this high school is located in Nishibeppu, and it has a small fleet of its own buses with which it provides a service for its students, linking the campus with Kagoshima station.
Here we see one of their buses, with license plate 鹿児島200は・236 at Kagoshima-Chuo railway station. It is an Isuzu, which was probably put into service in the late 90's.
The first time my daughter came to Yosemite to visit I dragged her from one end of the park to the other; from Mariposa Grove to Tuolumne Meadows. After several days she was tired, sore and in need to get here city fix on. We headed to Fresno for a little shopping, the zoo and a nice dinner. On the way there are rolling hills and pastures, usually filled with cattle. This was about the time the California Dairy Association was putting on a large dairy media campaign; featuring California Happy Cows. As we drove by this pasture a young cow was literately skipping across the pasture. My daughter asked “what’s the matter with that cow dad”, I said it’s a California Happy Cow. She called me a dork, we laughed and a wonderful moment forever etched in my memory. When I head to Fresno; I’ll stop at one of these pastures, take a picture of a cow with my cell and send to her.
As you can see; these pastures are dry and almost barren, because of our 4 year drought. When my daughter came out 5 years ago they were lush and full of cattle. As I took these images I saw the owner drive up the lane to her ranch. I drove over, told her I was taking pictures, got her email and said I’d send her a license copy. She said that hay has become so expensive they had to cut their herds dramatically.
After last week’s post “The Dark Side of Yosemite”; local parents and grandparents gathered their children and went on a stupid-fest, in retaliation for telling the truth. It’s heartbreaking to see such ignorance, self-righteousness and arrogance. These people are so self-absorbed; they don't consider the impact on the children, they involve in their harassment campaigns.
I’m posting the link to the same video again for those who missed it. After watching, ask yourself; what future does the boy in the video have? How do you think he conducts himself in the schoolyard, around other children? What kind of parent to you think he may be?
•The truth about Yosemite: www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Sexual-Harassment-Common-in...
Now I’d like you to look at what happened at work Monday, after I posted “The Dark Side of Yosemite” over the weekend. One of the halfwits drew this picture in the bathroom, writing "Go Home". Please click on the Flickr link below:
This was drawn on one of the bathroom stalls Monday. This was done by an adult with the maturity of a schoolyard bully. In “The Dark Side of Yosemite” I mentioned employees using the bathroom, not flushing, not washing their hands.
When my daughter was in High school; there were a group of kids that had an agenda to pick out someone every week and then bully them until they cried. This group of kids put a picture of a Korean flag on my daughter’s locker; with words “Go Back to Korea”. My daughter is Amerasian, was born in Korea. She called me at work and said “Dad I hate it here, I love learning, I love school, but I hate it here” and broke down into tears. One of the boys involved was the son of the Assistant Principle. When I arrived at her school; I asked the Assistant Principle where the flag and note was. He told me it was thrown away and the trash had already been taken out. He pretty much covered up for the group of kids that did this. When I looked into my daughters teary eyes I was lost for words. What do you tell your child; when you’ve told them their whole life, they could do and be anything they wanted if they applied them-self and worked hard?
The picture above was drawn by an adult with the same mentality of the High school kids, which bullied my daughter. I ask those who question the fact that Gang Stalking, Community Stalking and Workplace Mobbing exist; do you really think it’s that difficult to rally a group of people with this mindset, to stalk, harass and drive someone from the workplace and their community, based on the lies and deception of others? You can’t reason with this mentality, the only way to deal with them; is to hold them accountable for their actions. This happens every day in America, this is happening in Yosemite National Park. Rather than have the courage and morals to put a stop to it; those that have the power to do so (Yosemite's Superintend and Law Enforcement) blame the victim or act as if it doesn’t exist. This gives validity to the immoral and illegal acts and empowers these parasites to have no boundaries. The cycle continues from one victim to the next.
With Fathers' Day approaching; please be a good Father and say no to Gang Stalking, Community Stalking and Workplace Mobbing. We have enough hate in this world.
Gang Staking, Community Stalking and Workplace Mobbing are thriving in Yosemite National Park. These immoral and illegal acts are carried out by my coworkers, neighbors, residents and contractors. They are allowed by Yosemite’s Law Enforcement and Superintendent.
Thank you for visiting my Photostream
Kedleston Hall is a neo-classical manor house owned by the National Trust, and seat of the Curzon family, located in Kedleston, Derbyshire, approximately 4 miles (6 km) north-west of Derby. The medieval village of Kedleston was moved in 1759 by Nathaniel Curzon to make way for the manor.[2] All that remains of the original village is the 12th century All Saints Church, Kedleston.[3]
Background
The current house was commissioned in 1759 by Nathaniel Curzon and designed by Robert Adam.[4]
The Curzon family, whose name originates in Notre-Dame-de-Courson in Normandy, have been in Kedleston since at least 1297, and have lived in a succession of manor houses near to or on the site of the present Kedleston Hall. The present house was commissioned by Sir Nathaniel Curzon (later 1st Baron Scarsdale) in 1759. The house was designed by the Palladian architects James Paine and Matthew Brettingham and was loosely based on an original plan by Andrea Palladio for the never-built Villa Mocenigo.
At the time a relatively unknown architect, Robert Adam, was designing some garden temples to enhance the landscape of the park; Curzon was so impressed with his designs that Adam was quickly put in charge of the construction of the new mansion.
On the death of Richard Curzon, 2nd Viscount Scarsdale in 1977, expenses compelled the heir, his cousin (Francis Curzon), to transfer the property to the care of the National Trust.[5]
Exterior
Kedleston Hall was Brettingham's opportunity to prove himself capable of designing a house to rival Holkham Hall. The opportunity was taken from him by Robert Adam who completed the North front (above) much as Brettingham designed it, but with a more dramatic portico.
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The design of the three-floored house is of three blocks linked by two segmentally curved corridors. The ground floor is rusticated, while the upper floors are of smooth-dressed stone. The central, corps de logis, the largest block, contains the state rooms and was intended only for formal entertaining. The East block was a self-contained country house in its own right, containing all the rooms for the family's private use, and the identical West block contained the kitchens and all other domestic rooms and staff accommodation.
Plans for two more pavilions (as the two smaller blocks are known), of identical size and similar appearance, were never executed. These further wings were intended to contain, in the south-east a music room, and in the southwest a conservatory and chapel. Externally these latter pavilions would have differed from their northern counterparts by large glazed Serlian windows on the piano nobile of their southern facades. Here the blocks were to appear as of two floors only; a mezzanine was to have been disguised in the north of the music room block. The linking galleries here were also to contain larger windows, than on the north, and niches containing classical statuary.
The north front, approximately 117 yards [107 m] in length, is Palladian in character, dominated by a massive, six-columned Corinthian portico; however, the south front (illustrated right) is pure neoclassical Robert Adam. This garden facade is divided into three distinct sets of bays; the central section is a four-columned, blind triumphal arch (based on the Arch of Constantine in Rome) containing one large, pedimented glass door reached from the rusticated ground floor by an external, curved double staircase. Above the door, at second-floor height, are stone garlands and medallions in relief.
The four Corinthian columns are topped by classical statues. This whole centre section of the facade is crowned by a low dome visible only from a distance. Flanking the central section are two identical wings on three floors, each three windows wide, the windows of the first-floor piano nobile being the tallest. Adam's design for this facade contains huge "movement" and has a delicate almost fragile quality.
Hall
Marble Hall 1763, decoration completed in 1776-7
Entering the house through the great north portico on the piano nobile, one is confronted by the marble hall. Nikolaus Pevsner describes this as one of the most magnificent apartments of the 18th century in England.[6] It measures 67 feet (20 m) by 37 feet (11 m) in plan and is 40 feet (12 m) high.
Twenty fluted pink Nottingham alabaster columns with Corinthian capitals support the heavily decorated, high-coved cornice. Niches in the walls contain casts of classical statuary by Matthew Brettingham the Younger and others;[6] above the niches are grisaille panels of Homeric subjects inspired by Palladio's illustration of the Temple of Mars. The stucco in the ceiling was created by Joseph Rose in the 1770s.[6]
The floor is of inlaid Italian marble. Matthew Paine's original designs for this room intended for it to be lit by conventional windows at the northern end, but Adam, warming to the Roman theme, did away with the distracting windows and lit the whole from the roof through innovative glass skylight.
The overmantels to the fireplaces are by Joseph Rose with firebaskets by Robert Adam.[6]
At Kedleston, the hall symbolises the atrium of the Roman villa and the adjoining saloon the vestibulum.
Saloon
The saloon
The saloon, contained behind the triumphal arch of the south front, like the marble hall rises the full height of the house, 62 feet (19 m) to the top of the dome, where it too is sky-lit through a glass oculus. Designed as a sculpture gallery, this circular room 42 feet (13 m) in width was completed in 1763.
The decorative theme is based on the temples of the Roman Forum with more modern inventions: in the four massive, apse-like recesses are stoves disguised as pedestals for classical urns.[1] The paintings of ruins are by Gavin Hamilton and the grisaille panels have scenes of British worthies painted by John Biagio Rebecca.[6]
The four sets of double doors giving entry to the room have heavy pediments supported by scagliola columns, and at second-floor height, grisaille panels depict classical themes.
From the saloon, the atmosphere of the 18th-century Grand Tour is continued throughout the remainder of the principal reception rooms of the piano nobile, though on a slightly more modest scale.
State bedroom
The "principal apartment", or State bedroom suite, contains fine furniture and paintings.
The state bed was constructed by James Gravenor of Derby.[7] The state bed posts are carved to represent palm tree trunks which soar up and break into flamboyant foliage at the top, sweeping in palm-fronds behind.[8]
Drawing room
Settee by John Linnell in the Drawing Room dated from around 1765.
The drawing room with huge alabaster Venetian window is 44 feet (13 m) by 28 feet (8.5 m) by 28 feet (8.5 m). The doorcase is also alabaster. The fireplace with a scene of virtue rewarded by honour and riches is flanked by large female figures sculpted by Michael Henry Spang.[6] The gilt sofas by John Linnell date from around 1765.[9] They were commissioned by the 1st Baron Scarsdale and supplied, together with a second pair of sofas to Kedleston in 1765.
Dining room
The dining room
The dining room, with its gigantic apse, has a ceiling that Adam based on the Domus Augustana in the Farnese Gardens. The apse contains curved tables designed by Adam in 1762[6] and a giant wine cooler. The ceiling contains panel paintings of the continents by Antonio Zucchi, the seasons by Gavin Hamilton and the centre is by George Morland. The original wall panels are by Francesco Zuccarelli, Frans Snyders, Claude and Giovanni Francesco Romanelli.
Music Room
The Music Room has Ionic doorcases and delicate plaster ceiling designed by Adam. The marble chimneypiece is inlaid with Blue John. The pipe organ was second hand by John Snetzler with the case designed by Robert Adam and built by Robert Gravenor.[10] A second manual with Hautboy was added in 1824 by Alexander Buckingham.[11] The organ was restored in 1993 by Dominic Gwynn.
Library
The Library
The library contains a Roman doric doorcase leading to the Saloon. The bookcases were designed by Robert Adam[6] and built by James Gravenor of Derby.[12] The plaster ceiling is divided into octagonal patterns. The library desk was built in 1764 by James Gravenor. Wikipedia
This mosaic is based on the sculptures running around between the first-floor-windows of the Pyramide court of the Louvre, Paris, including Richeliu-, Sully- and Denon-wings of the building. The hall of fame consists of characters coming mainly from the XVIIth century (poets, writers, philosophers, artists, sculptors, painters, architects, politicians etc.). First I thought I would eliminate the differences between the original photos - later I didn't change them but just cropped and resized - the change of colour & tone reflects appropriately the time I spent with taking them (approx. 15 minutes; however, postwork including editing, identifying, even tagging took me weeks later) and due to the direction of the evening sunlight even the symmetry of the U-form space, as well.
1. Gregoire de Tours, 2. François Rabelais, 3. François de Malherbe, 4. Abailard (without his beloved Héloïse this time - apparently no woman among the sculptures), 5. Jean-Baptiste Colbert, 6. Jules Mazarin, 7. Buffon, 8. Jean Froissart, 9. Jean-Jacques Rousseau, 10. Montesquieu
11. Mathieu Mole, 12. Anne Robert Jacques Turgot, 13. Samuel Bernard, 14. Jean de La Bruyère, 15. Suger (Suger de Saint-Denis), 16. Jacques-Auguste de Thou, 17. Louis Bourdaloue, 18. Jean Racine, 19. [Voltaire, covered, unidentifiable], 20. Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet
21. Nicolas de Condorcet, 22. Denis Papin, 23. Sully, 24. Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban, 25. Antoine Lavoisier, 26. Michel-Richard de Lalande, 27. François Michel Le Tellier de Louvois, 28. Saint Simon, 29. Jean de Joinville, 30. Esprit Fléchier
31. Philippe de Commynes, 32. Jacques Amyot, 33. Pierre Mignard, 34. Jean Baptiste Massillon, 35. Du Cerceau, 36. Jean Goujon, 37. Claude Lorrain, 38. Gretry, 39. Jean-François Regnard, 40. Jacques Coeur
41. Marigny, 42. André Chénier, 43. Keller, 44. Antoine Coysevox, 45. Jean Cousin, 46. André Le Nôtre, 47. Clodion, 48. Germain Pilon, 49. Ange-Jacques Gabriel, 50. Antoine Lepautre
51. L'Hôpital, 52. Jacques Lemercier, 53. René Descartes, 54. Ambroise Paré, 55. Richelieu, 56. Michel de Montaigne, 57. Jean Antoine Houdon, 58. Étienne Dupérac, 59. Jean de Brosse, 60. Jean-Dominique Cassini
61. Henri François D'Aguesseau, 62. Jules Hardouin Mansart, 63. Nicolas Poussin, 64. Gérard Audran, 65. Jacques Sarazin, 66. Nicolas Coustou, 67. Eustache Lesueur, 68. Claude Perrault, 69. Thibault de Champagne, 70. Pierre Puget
This is my contribution to the French 14th of July on one hand, and on the other hand after this I will return to my earlier routine, and, unlike during the last month and previous 124 uploads, I will also put up photos taken at different places than Paris from now on.
See my blog for further details in Hungarian, and also some further images on some elements of the above mosaic here.
Tenuous Link: multiple
What the depth? This snowflake has a seemingly impossible number of layers to it! How can such a small crystal be so complex? My guess is either a strange form of crystal twinning, or dumb luck.
A simple hexagonal plate snowflake can usually have detail in three places: the front, the back, and inside. Interesting fact: if there are surface details on one part of a snowflake, the other side is smooth aside from rings or curved lines caused by inward crystal growth. Much of what we are seeing here are bubbles trapped in the ice, with a few more saturated ones near the center that are so close to the surface they evoke the phenomenon as thin film interference – the same physics that puts rainbow colours in soap bubbles).
The mystery here is that there appears to be multiple distinct layers of bubbles, something very rare. It would require two snowflakes to be stuck on top of each-other, or it could be two twinned crystals. These usually take the form of column-type snowflakes with an “evaporation groove” showing their separation (example: www.flickr.com/photos/donkom/16376573941/ ). I’ve seen it happen once before (long ago: www.flickr.com/photos/donkom/8476502160/ not just a plate twin, but TWO of them!) in plate-type crystals. This would allow for multiple layers, but in the earlier example I link to, each crystal twin as the same footprint! This is true for nearly every twin I’ve encountered, but it’s not true here.
Notice the brighter inner area? It forms roughly into a smaller hexagon which is the would-be twin, brighter here because there are more layers of ice to reflect light back. How can one outgrow the other when their footprints are glue together? The only suggestion I have is crystal splitting – where a bubble forms around the entire circumference of the snowflake, effectively cutting one of the crystals in half. With signs that the bubbles forming in the ice are very near the surface (which can create colours), if a thin top plate formed, it usually accelerates its growth beyond its partners (knife edge instability).
In this scenario and only this scenario could this happen: splitting twinned crystals. Or, just dumb luck that two snowflakes fell onto each-other perfectly. Such luck isn’t that uncommon – it’s what leads to the creation of twelve-sided snowflakes when two smaller crystals collide and stick together at a perfect 30-degree offset in rotation. Sure, they don’t show themselves very often, but I see a handful a season.
This snowflake measures just over 1 millimeter across, and originally it didn’t get my editing attention because it felt too cluttered – and then I realized that there was a puzzle to put together based on the abundance of details.
Like unraveling these mysteries? Grab one of the 52 remaining copies of Sky Crystals before they’re sold (the original print run was 3000): skycrystals.ca/product/sky-crystals-unraveling-the-myster... - it covers all of the details for the science AND photography of these little gems, and can sit as a coffee table book too.
Just want something pretty? “The Snowflake” is the most complex and labour intensive snowflake composite ever made, with each snowflake measured and placed to scale: skycrystals.ca/product/poster/
This is from Sunday Streets San Francisco a few weeks ago. It was taken in The Mission district, much of which was converted into a pedestrian mall for the day a few Sundays ago. Yep, they block off all the streets to motorized traffic and people get freely walk, skate and bike around the neighborhood. It was really fun, and there were lots of kids, teens, couples and families out enjoying the event.
Full album on Facebook (link).
On one of the side streets off 24th, I noticed a bunch of restored vintage cars out. I didn't have much time to stroll around, so I didn't get a chance to talk to the owner of this car or to do much of anything except quickly snap a few frames. It's a Chevy, but I wish I knew what model and year it is. Maybe someone will know. I assume that tubular thing that looks like a jet engine on the passenger side is some kind of heating or cooling unit, but I'm not sure.
I hope everyone has a great Monday and an altogether fantastic week!
All of my HDR photos can be found here.
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Hi, music again with Ivano Fossati, italian song writer and singer. I have to admit i didn't know this song, but i am lucky to have a person in my life, a very special and irreplaceable one, who sent the link to listen it. Inside the lyrics we can find the awkwardness and the troubles we meet trying to build a "love". It's always hard and dangerous, maybe scaring but what we get repays us the blood and sweat we have on our hands....so...if everything collapses we would aks to have all rubble on us.
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La costruzione di un amore - Ivano Fossati
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Po4WJfrmUrg
La costruzione di un amore
spezza le vene delle mani
mescola il sangue col sudore
se te ne rimane
La costruzione di un amore
non ripaga del dolore
è come un'altare di sabbia
in riva al mare
La costruzione del mio amore
mi piace guardarla salire
come un grattacielo di cento piani
o come un girasole
Ed io ci metto l'esperienza
come su un albero di Natale
come un regalo ad una sposa
un qualcosa che sta lí
e che non fa male
E ad ogni piano c'è un sorriso
per ogni inverno da passare
ad ogni piano un Paradiso
da consumare
Dietro una porta un po' d'amore
per quando non ci sarà tempo di fare l'amore
per quando vorrai buttare via
la mia sola fotografia
E intanto guardo questo amore
che si fa piú vicino al cielo
come se dopo tanto amore
bastasse ancora il cielo
E sono qui
e mi meraviglia
tanto da mordermi le braccia,
ma no, son proprio io
lo specchio ha la mia faccia
Sono io che guardo questo amore
che si fa più vicino al cielo
come se dopo l'orizzonte
ci fosse ancora cielo
E tutto ció mi meraviglia
tanto che se finisse adesso
lo so io chiederei
che mi crollasse addosso
E la fortuna di un amore
come lo so che può cambiare
dopo si dice l'ho fatto per fare
ma era per non morire
Si dice che bello tornare alla vita
che mi era sembrata finita
che bello tornare a vedere
e quel che è peggio è che è tutto vero
perché
La costruzione di un amore
spezza le vene delle mani
mescola il sangue col sudore
se te ne rimane
La costruzione di un amore
non ripaga del dolore
è come un'altare di sabbia
in riva al mare
E intanto guardo questo amore
che si fa piú vicino al cielo
come se dopo tanto amore
bastasse ancora il cielo
E sono qui
e mi meraviglia
tanto da mordermi le braccia,
ma no, son proprio io
lo specchio ha la mia faccia
Sono io che guardo questo amore
che si fa grande come il cielo
come se dopo l'orizzonte
ci fosse ancora cielo
E tutto ció mi meraviglia
tanto che se finisse adesso
lo so io chiederei
che mi crollasse addosso
Sì.
The construction of a love - Ivano Fossati
The construction of a love
breaks the veins of the hands
mixing blood with sweat
if you have enough
The construction of a love
does not repay the pain
is like a high sand
by the sea
The construction of my love
I like to look up
like a skyscraper than a hundred plans
or as a sunflower
And I'll put the experience
how about a Christmas tree
as a gift to a bride
something that is there
and that does not hurt
And on every floor there is a smile
each winter to pass
each floor is a Paradise
to consume
Behind a door a little love
for when there will be time to make love
for when you want to throw away
my only photo
Meanwhile, I look at this love
that is closest to the sky
as if after so much love
worse yet the sky
And I'm here
and I wonder
enough to bite my arms,
but no, I'm just
The mirror my face
It's me love that I look at this
which is closer to heaven
as if after the horizon
there was still sky
And all that I wonder
so that if it ended now
I know I would ask
that comes down on me
And the luck of love
I know how that can change
after you say I did it to make
but it was not to die
It is said that looking back to life
I had looked over
that's great to see
and what is worse is that it's all true
because
The construction of a love
breaks the veins of the hands
mixing blood with sweat
if you have enough
The construction of a love
not repay the pain
is like a high sand
by the sea
Meanwhile, I look at this love
that is closest to the sky
as if after so much love
worse yet the sky
And I'm here
and I wonder
enough to bite my arms,
but no, I'm just
The mirror my face
It's me love that I look at this
that becomes as big as the sky
as if after the horizon
there was still sky
And all that I wonder
so that if it ended now
I know I would ask
that comes down on me
Yes
Female bushbuck and Red-billed Oxpecker sharing a moment.
A familiar sight-- the oxpecker on the back of all sorts of animals, feeding on ticks, bugs, dead skin, etc.
This photo is from "The Ark", a lodge within the Aberdare National Park that essentially puts the people in the cage-- the building. It is next to a large waterhole and a salt lick, so the animals are attracted to come to you.
More photos to come! Here is my African safari link
www.flickr.com/photos/25171569@N02/albums/72157669809103977
Featured September 15, 2018 as the Administrators Photo of the week for Super~Six Elite Group--Level 5. www.flickr.com/groups/762863@N20/rules/
A trio of ESA engineers took to the roof of the Agency’s technical heart to link up with a satellite the size of a shoebox as it sped overhead.
The team deployed a portable, self-made ground station to acquire W-band microwave signals from ESA’s W-Cube mission, as part of an effort to better understand how this portion of the electromagnetic spectrum interacts with the atmosphere, encouraging its use for satellite communications.
Put in place within half an hour, the ground station was improvised from various outcomes of past ESA projects, combined with a computerised telescope mount usually employed for amateur astronomy. But at the first try the station succeeded in tracking and gathering signal data from W-Cube as it performed a ten minute pass over the ESTEC technical centre in Noordwijk, the Netherlands.
ESA Young Graduate Trainee Hugo Debergé, the microwave engineer responsible for building the station, commented: “Of all the thousands of satellites in space, we are currently pointing at the very first 75 GHz beacon in flight, and receiving signals from it – it’s amazing!”
W-Cube, launched in 2021, was developed through ESA’s Advanced Research in Telecommunications, ARTES, programme, to explore the use of W-band for future satellite missions. This particular millimetre-band – used on Earth for various commercial applications such as automotive radar and point-to-point wireless links – is being adopted for use in space, offering very high data throughput across a largely untrafficked span of the electromagnetic spectrum.
But the International Telecommunications Union, which assigns frequencies for use, has only limited modelling and prediction models to show how W-band signals propagate through Earth’s atmosphere and weather conditions. W-Cube was flown to help shrink this blind spot and prove the feasibility of future space missions operating using W-band.
A single fixed ground station was put in place to track W-Cube, at the premises of mission prime contractor Joanneum Research at Graz in Austria, with another one in preparation by VTT Research in Finland.
The nanosatellite itself – a ‘three-unit’ CubeSat, meaning it has been built up from three standardised 10-cm boxes – was constructed by Kuva Space in Finland (previously Reaktor Space Lab) with the W-band payload coming from VTT.
“W-Cube itself is working well, and only a few days ago another satellite carrying an experimental W-band payload was put in orbit from the University of Stuttgart,” explained ESA microwave engineer Vaclav Valenta. “So we decided to build our own station based on available hardware and chips from past projects in our lab, then assigned the challenging job of building it to Hugo through ESA’s Young Graduate Trainee programme. The satellite is switched on for acquisitions from Austria but as we found we can still track it from the Netherlands.
“We’re excited by today’s success on our first try, and our next plan to fine-tune our station design to make it truly portable. Also, our intention is to set up a permanent W-band station here at ESTEC. This design, combined with the tracking techniques we’re deploying, will certainly become the basis for other mobile W-band stations.”
Digital payload engineer Marek Peca equipped the portable ground station with motion control software and geodetic calculations: "We began by homing in on the Sun, and its output of radio white noise, serving as a reference point so the ground station knew where to look for W-Cube as it passed over our heads – a pinhole camera taped to the side of the antenna gave us a coarse visual confirmation of being centred on the Sun; we'll improve on this with building-mounted radio beacons in the future. But it all worked well: today’s success makes this only the second ground station in the world to acquire W-band signals from orbit!”
Michael Schmidt of Joanneum Research is Principal Investigator for the W-Cube mission: “I congratulate the ESTEC team in achieving this goal. I know from experience it is no easy task to receive the satellite’s very weak signal. Their work is providing important additional measurements in different climate zones from Graz and Helsinki, and the mobile nature of their ground station means it can be located in other locations as well, helping to improve our W-band propagation models and learning more the use of low-orbiting satellites for propagation experiments.”
Marek processed some 32GB of captured radio-frequency data to confirm that the first full pass of the satellite signal had been correctly tracked, representing six and a half minutes of the full pass. See plots from the W-Cube pass here and here. Read about the open source element of the project to use telescope mounts to track satellites and celestial objects here.
Credit: ESA-G. Porter
Jamie is always eager to play with the cats. That's Fish above, and here's Jamie with Fish's brother Ike recently. You can follow Jamie's antics on his Facebook page.
FYI, this image is by far my most-stolen photograph. First some guy who goes by TheFrogman stole it and put his *own* copyright message on my photo, adding some caption text on it (for those who don't recognize the humor inherent in the photos and need it spelled out for them, I guess). His "copyrighted" image has appeared many places, and others have taken it and added *their* branding as well. I've even seen this photo for sale on a poster site - how sweet, I could buy a copy of my own photo if I wanted to.
Thanks to Paul (below), my friend George and others I now know what to do about these rip-offs: file a DMCA Takedown Notice. It's simple, it's fast, and it works! I've managed to have other people's "copyrighted" versions of my photo removed from many sites. If somebody has ripped off one of your photos and put their own copyright notice on it, follow the links Paul provided below to have it removed from sites.
My general rule of thumb is that I don't do anything about unattributed use of my photos except to try to get them to link to the original, but when people start labeling my photos as "their property" it's time to get lawyers and government agencies involved. In my experience, reputable web sites are quick to respond if you file the proper paperwork about such theft.
It takes 2 days driving in an all wheel drive from Nairobi to arrive in Loiyangalani on the Turkana lake shores… you have never heard about this place? And yet it’s here that they filmed « The Constant Gardener » with Ralph Fiennes.
The Lake Turkana region presents a lunar landscape, somewhat desert, covered in black volcanic rocks. It’s an extremely inhospitable environment for humans and their livestock. There is no potable water and limited pastures. The rainfall averages is less than 6 inches a year. During the day the high temperatures (up to 45°C) are come with strong winds (up to 11 meters per second), pushing dust. But it’s just a magical place on earth !
No human should be able to live in these conditions and yet 250,000 Turkana people are living here. Their territory extends to northern Kenya around Lake Turkana, and on the boundaries with south Sudan and Ethiopia. In 1975, the lake (400 km long, 60 large) was named after them.
Herders Above All Else : The importance of livestock
They are a traditionally pastoralist tribe, moving their livestock (goats, sheep, camels, cattle, and donkeys) and their homes to search water for their animals. Turkana have not been affected by western civilization yet and live in a very traditional way. The number of animals and the diversity of the herd are closely linked to a family’s status in the community. The herds are their bank account.
They depend on the rain to provide grazing for their animals, and on their animals for milk and meat. Because water is so hard to find in the area, they often fight with other tribes like Dassanech. Their main concerns are land and how to win it or to keep it!
The Turkana place such a high value on cattle that they often raid other tribes to steal animals. These razzias have become more dangerous as they now use guns. As the Turkana are one of the most courageous groups of warriors in Africa, fights are serious!
After a raid, the robbers ask some friends from neighboring villages to keep some cows. Their herd is scattered between several places to reduce the risk of being stolen the whole.
The Turkana choose their good friends as neightbors more so than people they share kinship ties with. The clans (ekitela), 28 in number, no longer have a social function. Each clan owns water wells dug in the dried river beds. Unless an explicit request is made, the community can deny water to those passing by.
Even today, the Turkana never kill their livestock to sell their meat. They only kill for celebrations. The Turkana need their animals since they use them as currency in marriage or various social transactions. If a man loses his livestock to drought, he is not only impoverished but shamed. In these cases, NGOs often help get him back on his feet but he can’t reclaim his pride until he has reestablished his herd.
The animals are given very poetic names which the owners often take on as well. It’s common to call a good friend the name of his favorite bull. The Turkana even write songs for their favorite animals. Once a young man has selected his favorite bull, he shapes its horns into bizarre forms to make it stand out. Many tribes use to do this in the area.
The Fish is Taboo for the Herdsmen
Turkana people traditionally do not fish and do not eat fish. But during the droughts, Turkana people are encouraged to fish to get some food. Fishing has been regarded as something of a taboo, a practice reserved for the very poorest in Turkana society.
Social Structure
The Turkana are organized into generational classes. All males go through three life stages (child, warrior, and elder).
To become a man, the turkana teen must go through a ceremony where he will have to kill an animal with a spear, but he must kill it in one throw! Once done, the old men will open the stomach of the animal and put the content on the body of the new adult. It is the way they bless him.
For women, the process is different. They become adult when they reach puberty. Unlike many other tribes in Kenya, the Turkana do not practice FGM and circumcision.
The Turkana live in small households. Inside live of a man, his wives !as he can marry more than one), their children and sometimes some dependent old people. The house is called « awi ». It is built with wood, animal skin, and doum palm leaves. Only the women build the houses!
Herding is a family affair. The father assigns various tasks to his children depending on their age. It’s common to see kids walking long distances with the cattle. Later they will take care of sheep and goats. The girls carry water and collect wood.
Newborns receive their names in a unique way. They take the name of a parent who has huge prestige and add the name of the most beautiful animal in the herd.
Parents learn very early to the kids the taboos: you must not lie, be coward, steal, neglect elders…
Turkana have their own justice and the revenge system is working well: if a crime is committed, the family of the victim will try to kill the murderer or someone from its close family. They also can steal to the suspect a large amount of cattle. Usually, the elders try to make a reconciliation ceremony. It is an never ending story as the family will also want to make a vandetta of the vendetta !
If the homicide was an accident, it can be solved by giving a daughter in marriage.
Marriage
When a man wants to marry a girl, he must ask his own parents if they agree. His mother will have to check if the girl he wants is a good worker! The blood relationship between the families is forbidden, so the elders will check the family links before any agreement.
The man must pay the bride parents (30 cattle, 30 camels and 100 small stock minimum, sometimes a gun is added). It means that a man cannot marry until he has inherited livestock from his dead father. It also means that he collects livestock from relatives and friends. This strengthens social ties.
Daily life
Cattle dungs are used as fuel to cook the food, the urine is used as soap for washing when chemical soap is not available. I saw people using the urine to wash the milk containers, so I always refused to drink milk!
Camels are used for transportation of goods and are well adapted to the very arid climate of Turkana and the lack of water. They are also used in transactions for weddings, or economics deals.
Donkeys have a special status in Turkana tribe: the people do not drink its milk. They use them to carry their houses when they move or weak people with a special wood saddle. But even if donkeys are very useful, they are mocked by the turkana people. Donkey meat is eaten only in the Turkana, where it is savored as a delicacy while others tribe hate it!
They like chewing tobacco and often walk around with a chewed up ball of it on their ear. They also like snorting powdered tobacco.
Danses and songs are important in the social life. Dances allow the people to meet and to flirt. Circle dances are are performed by group of young unmarried girls. The men and young girls join hands and the circles move around. The men may then jump into the centre of the circle raising their arms to imitate the cow horns.
Spirituality, Superstitions, Beliefs
In 1960, a famine started in Turkana area, and so the « Africa Inland Mission » established a food-distribution centre in Lokori, bringing also christianity. But conversion did not meet a huge success (5 % may be converted) as Turkana are nomadics and still have strong believes in their own god. Some Turkana elders even told me :
« I wear a christian cross around my neck and go to the church to get an access to the help provided by the the missionaries for food and clothes! »
The majority of the Turkana still follow their traditional religion. There's one supreme God called Akuj, who is associated with the sky. If God is happy, he will give rain. But if he is angry with the people, he will punish them. In the old believings, giraffes were supposed to tickle the clouds with their high heads, and make the rain come !
Four million years ago, the Lake Turkana bassin may have been the cradle of mankind. You can spot some very nice engraving sites showing a mixture of giraffes and geometrics patterns made around 2000 years ago close to the lake.
Deviners, called the « emuron » are able to interpret or predict Akuj's plans through their dreams, or through sacrificed animal's intestines, tobacco, and through the tossing of …sandals ! Sandals are very important for the oracle. He blesses the sandals by spitting on them. He throws them up into the air and gives a meaning to the patterns they create when they fall on the ground.
When someone dies, the Turkana only hold funerals and burry the body. In the old times, people were were not given a burial, but were abandoned to hyenas.
As I was taking pictures of an old Turkana lady, after 3 pictures, she asked me to stop, and started to shout : « You’re sucking my blood, you make me feel weak » and she left. I was explained by a young boy that the old people believe that pictures are taking their blood away.
Medecine
Scarifications on the belly are made by traditional doctors to cure ill people: it is a way to put out the illness from the body. Scarification is practiced for aesthetic reasons too. Scars are a sign of beauty or to show how many people he has killed, if he is a man.
The skin is cut with an acacia or a sharp razor blade that may be shared by the people and bring diseases.
Turkana believe that a person who experienced illness and recovered from it can treat someone else who’s suffering from the same illness. This means that everybody can be a doctor ! If this does not work, they say that the animal slaughtered was the wrong one.
A good Turkana tip : if you suffer from a severe headache, you just have to take out the brain from a living animal, like a goat, and put it on your head !
Or, another solution : to lift a sheep over the patient, to cut the throat so that the blood strickles on the patient’s head.
The Turkana have the highest instance in the world of echinoccocus (7%) due to their proximity with dogs, who live and defecate everywhere. The dogs lick up blood and vomit and the women use the dog’s excrement as a lubricant for the necklaces that touch their neck.
This parasite has three hosts : sheep, dogs, and humans. In Turkana, these three species live very close, surrounded by little else in the vast desert, ideal conditions for the proliferation of the parasite. The diease causes huge cysts that can be removed by surgery. The locals believe that this "disease of the large belly" is due to a spell cast by the neighboring enemy tribe: the Toposa.
Beauty
Turkana girls and women love to adorn themselves with a lot of necklaces. Beads can be made of glass, seeds, cowry shells, or iron. They never remove them! This can only happen when they are ill or during a mourning time. It means they sleep with those huge necklaces… A married Turkana woman will also wear a plain metal ring around the neck. This is a kind of wedding ring (alagama). A Turkana man will do all he can to make sure that his women folk are dressed in beads of class. Even if some are not able to take their girls to school, they will still ensure that they have beads. By the quantity and style of jewelry a woman wears, you can guess her social status.
Beads colors have specific meaning. Yellow and red beads are given to girl by a man when they are fiancé. If a woman wears only white beads, it means she is a widow. Little girls wear few beads, usually given to them by their mothers, but the older ladies and women wear many, which are in sets rows.
A woman who cannot move her neck is envied! The big necklaces are heavy, like 5 kilos.
A woman without beads is bad, men will ignore her. « You look like an animal without beads! »
Young children only wear a simple strand of pearls. Adolescents wear small articles of clothing to cover their sex. These articles are often decorated with mulitcolored pearls or ostrich egg shells. They wear more and longer clothing as they approach puberty.
NakaparaparaI are the famous ear ornaments. They are made by the men of the tribe in aluminium most of the time and look like a leaf.
Men love to make an elaborate mudpack coiffures called emedot. It is a kind of chignon: the hairstyle takes the shape of a large bun of hair at the back of the head. They decorate it with ostrich feathers to show they are elders or warriors. 2 ostrich feathers costs 1 goat.
Men use a wood pillow (ekicolong) to sleep on it and protect the bun. It can last 2 months and must be rebuild after.
Tattooing is also common and usually has special meaning. Men are tattooed on the shoulders and upper arm each time they kill an enemy — the right shoulder for killing a man, the left for a women.
Lower incisors are removed in childhood, with a tool called « corogat », a finger hook. The origin of this practice was against tetanus, as people are lock-jawed, so they can feed them with milk through the hole. It is also a way to force the teeth at the top to stand out and not interfere with the labret many put on the lower lip. The is useful to spit through the gap of the teeth, without even opening the mouth. The Turkana enjoyed to have labrets, but nowadays, only the elders can be seen with on. They used to put an ivory lip plug, then a wood one, and for some years, they use a lip plug made of copper or even with plaited electric wires.The hole between the lower lip and chin is pierced using a thorn.
The finger hook is also used as a weapon, for gouging out an ennemy’s eye !
Hygiene
Since water is so rare, it’s used only for drinking, never for washing. The Turkana clean themselves by rubbing fat all over their skin.
Turkana women put grease paint on their bodies which is made from mixing animal fat with red ochre and the leaves of a tree to have nice perfume. They say it is good for the skin and it protects from the insects.
Women also put animal fat all around their neck and also on their huge necklaces to prevent from skin irritation.
They also use dog shit as a medicine and lubrificant for their neck.
Both men and women use the branch of a tree called esekon to clean their teeth. You can see them using it all day long…The Turkana people have the cleanest bill of dental health in the country.
For long, Turkana people did not use latrines because it is a taboo for men and women to share same facilities like a latrine. Campaigns have now been initiated to sensitize people on the importance of using latrines for hygiene.
Animal fat is considered to have medicinal qualities, and the fat-tailed sheep is often referred to as "the pharmacy for the Turkana. »... when they do not grill it to eat it!
Futur
Recently, oil has been found on their territory… many fear Turkanas people may loose their traditions, but the Turkana succeeded in maintaining their way of life for centuries. Against all odds they manage to raise livestock in the confines of the desert. Their knowledge allows them to live where most humans could not.
The recent discovery of massive groundwater reserves in the ground (3 billion cubic meters, nearly three times the water use in New York City) could allow them to keep their traditions for a long time.
© Eric Lafforgue
This is a small wood block piece I put up for sale on Ebay. After posting it and then perusing more of the art on Ebay I realize I have a lot to learn before I actually sell a piece. I admit my drive for business does not equal my drive for art.Ooops I forgot the link...see what I mean?! Anyway, this is ink and acrylic on a wood block protected by acrylic varnish. Measurments are 5" by 3 1/2" by 3/4". Here is link to Ebay: cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=739510097...
sold
I just got back from a really great vacation in Puerto Rico and cruise areound the different islands down inthe carribean. Its been awhile since I have put up a new photo and its nice to be back on Flickr. This is at Isla Verde Beach in Puerto Rico.
Camera:
Canon 450d (Xsi)
Canon EF 18-200
Processing:
3 shot hdr (-1.5,0,1.5)
Photomatix: Tonemapped with Details Enhancer Sliders
Topaz Detail 2: Very Minor Detail work
Photoshop CS4: Crop, Border, Adjust the Tones
Enjoy!
Want to learn more about HDR?
Check out the link below! I have bought a few of the products here and learned a lot!
Hey guys, just wanted to share with you this little project I put together on iMovie today. I uploaded it to my personal youtube account because I don't think the person who I share Future Quest with would want it on the main channel. The video may not be the best quality because ya know, iMovie, but it's still pretty cool so it would mean a lot if you would check it out!
Here's the link:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HUxEx81aLs
Let me know what you think of it in the comments of the video!
Spooky Storyteller"
I'm so excited to share this image, mostly because I'm really happy with how it turned out but also because it's an image I created as part of Alchemists Library
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A group of talented friends and artists each created a comprehensive tutorial of a Halloween inspired image and we've put them all together into a bundle of awesome learning and it's only available to purchase this month! You can find the link to get the bundle here: www.alchemistslibrary.com/
In my tutorial I'll show you how to carve a pumpkin using photoshop, how to create ghostly bats, replace a sky and more!
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🎃 I'm curious to hear what book you think this pumpkin friend is reading? What's your guess? 🎃
Author's Note: The contents of this chapter include very sensitive subject matter and may be triggering to some individuals. Scenes of abuse of various forms are represented as not only for storytelling, but to raise awareness of what this behavior looks like. Abusive behavior in this story includes, but is not limited to: physical abuse, mental abuse, verbal abuse, gaslighting, manipulation, intentional triggering of another's PTSD, and trauma. In no way are these scenes intended to purposely trigger or harm anyone.
...
"Time to wake up, pretty boy! If I'm not getting any sleep tonight then neither are you!"
The jarring, loud sound of a metal object clanging on the metal bars of the cell followed by the angry, taunting voice of Micah had violently jerked Vincent out of what he had hoped would be time to rest. However that seemed not to be the case. Already shivering from the cold and in the most extreme amount of pain he'd felt in a long time radiating through his entire body, Vincent was not looking forward to whatever Micah had planned for him.
Micah had seen Vincent violently jump upon his loud arrival but found his frustration rising as Vincent's body settled on the wooden hanging pallet once again. There was no further acknowledgement on Vincent's behalf that Micah was even there.
"HEY! I'm talking to you!"
Again, there was no response from Vincent.
"I know you're not deaf, you one eyed freak!"
Micah heard a very faint sigh come from the other side of the cell which prompted him to keep talking. So he'd struck a nerve, had he? Micah walked over to place the torch in his hand up on the wall as he continued to speak.
"I hope you are enjoying your accommodations, Freak. After everything, it's more than you deserve. Hells, I heard you were supposed to be more of a gentleman; the notorious Captain Vincent Dubois! Heh, that's if you could call a drunk like you a gentleman. I mean just look at you: dirty, smelling of alcohol and filth...and such an ugly face with those scars."
He glanced over at the unmoving Vincent as Vincent's strained voice finally reached Micah's ears: "Do you mind? I'm trying to sleep." Vincent gave a bored sigh and actually closed his eyes, visibly trying to settle onto the uncomfortable pallet.
Micah stared at Vincent's back, wanting more and more as each second passed to wrap his hands around his throat and end him right here and now for being the cause of all the hardships he was enduring tonight! Reaching into his pocket, Micah pulled out the ring of keys and went to the lock to let himself in. If anything, maybe he could beat some sense into the quiet prick who fucked everything up between Thorn and him!
Vincent heard the sound of the keys clanging and the lock being unlocked. It was only a moment later that the cell door opened and was quickly shut once again with a loud clang! Vincent quietly took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
Feeling Micah's rough hands on his arm and shoulder, Vincent clenched his teeth at the painful yank as he was literally pulled off the pallet and thrown hard onto his back upon the cold, stone floor! Pain immediately flared to life through his entire body!
Micah pressed the sole of his boot onto Vincent's shoulder to keep him on his back and deliberately dug the point of his boot into his shoulder. Vincent's teeth clenched as he tried to focus, determined not to let Micah see how much pain he was in.
"I told you," Micah growled as he leaned over Vincent, pressing harder into his shoulder, "that you are NOT sleeping tonight." Micah's lips curled slightly into a smirk, waiting for Vincent to cry out or plead for him to stop. Instead, he was surprised to see Vincent roll his eyes and give a small sigh.
"Aw, is the puppy sad he doesn't get to sleep at his Master's feet tonight?" Vincent antagonized him in a bored voice, pushing past the intense pain surging through his body. Micah's eyes widened and the smirk quickly dropped from his face as Vincent actually snorted and glanced off to the side towards the window. "Can't blame him. All bark and no bite; couldn't even put me down yourself. Some puppy...tame and useless."
By now, that smirk was long gone and Micah felt a rage consume him that he'd not felt before! With no warning, Micah took his boot off of Vincent's shoulder and sent the heel of his boot kicking hard into Vincent's ribs directly over a deep cut he'd gotten during their earlier fight in the city.
Vincent, having already expected such an attack, merely grunted despite the feeling and sound of his ribs cracking under the heel of Micah's boot! He winced ever so slightly, keeping himself in check. He refused to let Micah see how badly it really hurt. Fuck, did it hurt!
"SHUT UP!!!" came Micah's enraged scream. Seeing that Vincent had barely reacted despite the hard kick, Micah became enraged! He wanted Vincent to hurt! He wanted to see him scream and beg for relief, whereas Vincent was barely giving any reaction to anything he was doing to him!
Dropping down while Vincent was still steadying himself at the kick, Micah pressed his hands to Vincent's shoulders and dug in his fingers, moving to straddle his hips as he leaned down and snarled in his face, "EVERYTHING WAS GOING JUST FINE UNTIL WE HAD TO DRAG YOUR UGLY FACE OUT HERE!"
Grunting from Micah's weight and breathing heavily, Vincent glared up into Micah's eyes and said in a challenging voice, "You didn't HAVE to drag my ass anywhere! What? You couldn't stand the embarrassment of losing to me? Trying to prove a point?" As Micah opened his mouth to respond, Vincent cut right in and added, "Or does this have to do with you guys lying about my betting? Hmm?"
Micah's eyes widened as he stared down at him, clearly surprised by Vincent seemingly calling him out on multiple levels. Even though his lips were parted, he couldn't even formulate a response! All he could do was glare down at Vincent which caused Vincent to smirk up at him and remark, "Oh look....now he can't even bark. Cat got your tongue?"
...Meanwhile, Aiden had followed his informant's instructions and made his way across the southern river bridge and then took a left along the river. Now he'd reached a quieter part of town; the kind where the silence was eerie and people tended to mind their own business. Aiden squared his shoulders and reached down to slide his fingers through the lantern's ring and lifted him as if he were any other lantern and continued along his way with determination.
It had only been in recent years that the peelers* had been officially formed and grew into power across the nation. Prior to their creation, there were private jailers who were called upon to serve personal justice for a price. It didn't matter who was guilty or not as long as you paid enough. But ever since the rise of the peelers, their private operations had been put to a halt and deemed illegal. However there were rumors that some still operated in secret through dealings with the local officials; such as the one Thorn seemed to run.
When told what to look for, Aiden knew exactly what the man was talking about. If Vincent had really gone and crossed someone who ran a place like that, that was just bad luck!
Near the edge of town, he came across a large house-like building that looked more like a small fortress built into a hill that was a distance from the other buildings. With the river serving as noise cancellation, he knew he was in the right place. It seemed this one was still privately owned as some of them were; turned into large houses with rather large wine cellars. But from what his informant had told him, the jail was still very much in use.
Studying the large building, Aiden could see light coming from the top floor in a room but there wasn't much light coming from anywhere else. Clearly, there was no one keeping watch. Praying that his informant was right and that this wasn't just someone's house, Aiden set Pete down and quickly strode across the yard and began to peek along the wall. Along the curve of the hill, away from prying eyes of the street or across the river, were heavy cellar doors leading downstairs.
Determination fueled Aiden as he quickly made his way along the wall heading towards the cellar doors. As he did, he noticed a dim firelight coming from what appeared to be a small set of cell bars to let in light and air right by the ground. In fact, there were a few of them but only one had dim light coming from it! Approaching, Aiden's brow furrowed as he heard an enraged shout of frustration over the sound of the river.
"SHUT UP!"
Aiden's stomach lurched at the sound and quickly found himself on his hands and knees, peeking through the bars! What he saw made him see red! Laying in the dimly lit cell on the ground, beaten and bloody was Vincent! And he was towered over by a very angry Micah who was setting his foot down, clearly having just kicked him! Aiden barely had a chance to admire Vincent's ability to keep from crying out before he was scrambling for the cellar doors!
Wrenching the teeth of his wrench into the lock, Aiden pushed hard and broke the lock over the doors and heaved the doors open! Adrenaline was pumping through his veins with his desperation to rescue Vincent! Maybe he could distract Micah somehow! Letting the heavy wooden doors drop to the dirt, Aiden could see a stairwell going down, moonlight pouring in from behind him and illuminating his way into a very apparent dungeon type of cells. "Pete, come on!" Aiden growled, grasping his wrench tightly and hurrying down the steps, Pete clicking and scrambling after him.
As soon as Aiden turned the corner, he was greeted with the sight of Vincent laying on his back in a locked cell with Micah on top of him, pinning him and snarling angrily down at him as Vincent began to try pushing Micah out of his face!
"You-!" Micah began but he was quickly cut off as Aiden slammed his wrench against the bars, causing both Micah and Vincent to jump and turn their attention to Aiden with wide, startled eyes.
"HEY, YOU PATHETIC SHIT! GET OFF OF HIM!"
---
Vocabulary:
*Peeler(s)- the term used in early 1800s in England for the first professional policemen and were known in slang terms as "bobbies"; named for Sir Robert Peel who founded them (info found on Google)
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Next Part:
www.flickr.com/photos/153660805@N05/51735014939/in/datepo...
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To start from the beginning or to read another chapter, here's the album link:
www.flickr.com/photos/153660805@N05/albums/72157717075565127
***Please note this is a BOY LOVE (BL/yaoi/gay) series. It is a slow burn and rated PG13!***
Special thank you to Vin Aydin Raven-Mysterious for collaborating with me on this series and co-starring as The Captain!
And thank you to Toxzen Owo for starring as Micah!
~
DISCORD SERVER: That's right! The Captain and the Engineer has a Discord Server! If you would like to join and chat with other crewmates and see what's new and happening before it gets posted to Flickr, click the link!
***NEW!!!!***
The Captain and the Engineer now has a FACEBOOK PAGE! Please come Like, Follow, and join the crew! Thank you so much for all your support!
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Tick tock. Tick tock. Tick tock. Tick tock.
All lights were out in Vincent's flat with no indication that anyone was even home, with the Sun having set a couple of hours ago. There was no sound nor movement other than the sound of the ticking clock on the mantel in the sitting room.
However, it was occupied after all. In the next room over, sitting atop his bed in the dark and still in his nice day clothes, Vincent had his arms crossed over his chest as he stared at the wall opposite of him. He was not happy; not at all.
Vincent planned to work things out with Damien, but right now he wasn't ready to talk to him. He was still hurt and it was all too fresh. He'd been trying to figure out why Damien had acted out the way he had. But after a few hours he'd decided there was no logic to it! He'd just have to wait for the man to explain himself. So, now he was just sitting here; brooding and waiting for time to pass. It had been a long time since he'd brooded so strongly.
When sleep started to pull at him some time later, Vincent finally let himself deflate a little more with a heavy sigh, as if trying to just release it off his shoulders. He may as well try to get some sleep and figure this out tomorrow.
He finally got himself up out of bed, turned on a small oil lamp, and began to change. And as he did, he began to realize that not once this evening did he feel the inclination to drink any of his troubles away. He hadn't even over-indulged in his bhang tea! He'd simply taken his standard medicinal dose and that was it! Despite all the upsets of the day and the bad thoughts, he found that little bit of silver lining was something actually worth smiling over. It had been a long time since he'd felt pride in himself.
And, indeed, Vincent found himself smiling slightly after all as he shoved his shirt and waistcoat off his shoulders. He felt a little proud of himself now that he thought about it. He was already imagining Aiden's beaming smile when he found out! But more importantly, Vincent thought, he was smiling for himself.
Vincent finished changing out of his day clothes and finally began to head back to bed; though this time with the intention of sleeping. As he settled in and rolled on his side, he turned to face his wardrobe. He could faintly hear the buzzing of the Fulgora's Eye in the box and vaguely remembered that Aiden had left his wrench on top. A small smirk appeared on his face as he made a mental note to remind Aiden of it next time. Closing his eyes, Vincent sighed contently and let himself start to drift off.
When he'd first begun rousing the next morning, something just made him want to just sleep the day away. He could tell it was going to be a lazy morning. So instead of waking up, he allowed himself to close his eyes once more and roll over and sleep just a bit longer.
When he finally began to wake for the day about an hour later, Vincent rolled onto his back and groggily stared up at the ceiling. Vaguely he wondered what time it was. It was darker than he was expecting. Pushing the covers off and sitting up with a groan, he glanced towards the window. And as he suspected, the sky was dark with various shades of gray indicating the overcast day ahead. Well, that made sense why he felt he could lay in bed all day. And indeed the clock indicated so; it was very nearly eleven o'clock!
A short time later, Vincent stepped out onto the terrace with his hands enclosed around a hot, steaming cup of coffee. He was dressed in only a loose pair of pants with his hair down, allowing the slightly cool, damp air to touch his warm, exposed skin. Sipping the hot coffee, he closed his eyes and sighed in contentment. Now this was a comfortable way to wake up.
Though as he stood there sipping his coffee and slowly waking up more, he began to think about Damien and how things had gone the day before. Vincent decided that once he woke up a bit more, he'd get dressed and go to see Damien after all. He didn't want to let this sit and fester between them if Damien was willing to talk it out with him. But something wasn't sitting right and he couldn't place his finger on it. It was as if there was an unpleasant feeling lingering and it felt like a knot was tightening in his stomach.
Vincent frowned slightly as he stared into his nearly drained cup. With a heavy sigh, he lifted it to his lips and drained it the rest of the way. He'd already decided he'd go so he may as well go get it over with. Deciding to dismiss the ominous feeling as typical nervousness, Vincent readied himself to head back inside and get ready to go see Damien.
Something cool and wet suddenly dripped onto Vincent's left cheek, causing him to blink in slight surprise. Then it happened again on his right shoulder. Then several more drops followed, and a moment later the sky opened up.
A gentle rain began to fall, slowly soaking Vincent as he remained where he was. He stared up at the sky, blinking slowly. Finally he gave a small, releasing sigh and closed his eyes.
Vincent took another couple minutes to stand in the rain before he decided he should go in. It would be wise to do so, he figured, before he caught a chill. With a final look at the sky, he gave a small nod and ducked back into his flat to warm up and make his preparations to go out.
...
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Vincent was standing outside the residence of Damien's sister and her husband, twisting his umbrella nervously in his hand absent-mindedly as he waited patiently. A young child's voice (which he recognized as Damien's niece) called out from the window above which faded as she went to fetch her mother: "Mama! Mama! The one-eyed man is here!"
Vincent sighed and immediately felt regret for even coming here unannounced. He hadn't forgotten this family's reservation regarding his appearance. But sometimes he'd gotten the impression there was something more to it. He had wondered for a long time if it was about Damien's arm but that just didn't seem right. Damien's sister and her husband always seemed to try too hard to be nice and never could look him in the eyes. He had the impression they didn't like him very much but were pretending for Damien's sake. And unfortunately, he thought, his current bruised appearance likely wasn't going to help matters much.
He only had to wait a short time until the door opened and he was greeted by Damien's sister. She was very clearly embarrassed but pretending her daughter hadn't announced Vincent's arrival so rudely as she exclaimed in a slightly rushed, polite manner, "Captain Dubois! What a morning to be out and about! Come in! How are you? Damien told us you were accosted outside your own home! Are you feeling more improved lately?"
"Quite, thank you."
Not wanting to be rude, himself, Vincent stepped inside and out from the rain, shaking out his umbrella before closing it and wiped his feet. He had no intentions of staying longer than necessary and hoped Damien was in. He turned to her once more and watched as she cleared her throat nervously and folded her hands in front of her. Her eyes remained glued to his chin and explained, "Damien is not here right now. He stepped out earlier this morning and hasn't been back since." She seemed to think better of her manners before asking, "W-would you like to sit?! I can brew some tea to-!"
"No, thank you, Mrs. Rivers," Vincent cut in quietly, having decided it would be best for him to take his leave now. He wouldn't stay where he wasn't wanted. "Thank you for your time. Would you please be so kind as to give this to him?" He withdrew a small, sealed letter from his pocket and offered it to her. He'd written a small note for Damien explaining that he'd like to talk this out and to let him know when he was ready.
She took it, gazing at it for a moment before responding in a slightly relieved tone, "Of course. Have a pleasant day, Captain Dubois."
"You as well, Mrs. Rivers."
Without further word, Vincent turned and opened his umbrella before stepping out into the rain once again. He heard the front door quickly shut behind him before he even made it down to the fourth step. When it did, he finally let out that disappointed sigh he'd been holding in for the last uncomfortable minute or so and continued to make his way towards the street. And as he made it there, thunder rumbled overhead which startled a few people nearby, exclaiming in surprise. However, Vincent paused and glanced up at the sky and narrowed his eyes a touch. After a few more seconds of staring up at the stormy clouds, he turned and made his way down the street.
...
The rain didn't seem to want to let up as Vincent continued to wander the streets of the city aimlessly. The gentle storm had caused most people to stay indoors so it was thankfully more quiet than the usual busy hour of the day. Though as he wandered, he began to wonder if he should just head home. At least if he was home he could just read and listen to the storm as background noise. Then he would finally have a distraction from the increasingly depressing thoughts burrowing its way into his mind. But as he thought about his small collection at home, he found himself wanting to read something different. He'd read the new book Aiden had gifted him three times already. And as he was thinking about this, Vincent realized that he was not very far from the public library at all! So why not make a quick trip before heading back?
It was not even ten minutes later that Vincent stepped into the library. He glanced around as he shook his umbrella free of excess water by the front door, then kicked his boots free of water as well. Finally, he inhaled deeply the scent of old books and candles as it integrated with the smell of the storm. Perfect. It was one of his favorite scents in the world. After all, it was one of his favorite places to be other than Leon's Claw.
Vincent took his time browsing among the fiction bookshelves; enjoying how serene it all felt. After the upsets of yesterday and today, it felt nice to just be in here and decompress. He enjoyed listening to the echoes of the rain and occasional gentle thunder while being surrounded by the scent and feel of the library. He did select one book but still was on the hunt for a second. Perhaps he could find something in the non-fiction section which happened to be just around the corner. He would just need to figure out what topic he wanted to research.
Vincent made a turn and was greeted with the open seating area with a few tables and chairs for the library patrons to relax and do their research and read. Vincent was very familiar with this place and had spent many of his youthful days here. He glanced around the open space and then settled his gaze on his favorite study table which was occupied. And it happened to be occupied by none other than Aiden!
'That's right!' Vincent thought as he remembered. Aiden said that he'd be going to the library to do some research. He watched from a short distance as Aiden leaned closer over one of the open books, forehead pressed into his left hand, delving a bit into his golden hair. With his right hand, he held a pencil between his fingers which he gently tapped on the paper of his notebook. Vincent knew it was already filled with notes and scribbles and sketches. He watched as the young engineer nibbled his lower lip and pored over the words on the page like that. Vincent supposed it was the scholar in himself that appreciated it.
Vincent didn't even realize he was doing it, but it was not the usual gaze he held when laying eyes upon his engineer either. His gaze was locked on the younger man with himself unmoving. It was if something was stirring quietly inside him; perhaps even just a touch...primal. It was almost as if he were stalking prey. Yet as seconds turned to nearly a full minute, he still had no idea that he was staring as intensely as he was.
Aiden had come to the library nearly two hours ago and had delved into his research upon finding a few books. They'd looked promising! Aiden discovered once he'd sat down with them that his selection was quite advanced compared to other books he'd read in the past. However, he was pleased to be able to comprehend everything easily enough! He'd quickly accumulated quite a bit of notes and knowledge! And now he was certain he had a complete list of everything he would need to pull apart that Fulgora's Eye! He just needed to put these books back and find out where the local shops were.
With a groan, Aiden straightened in his chair and stretched his arms above his head. As he did, he felt his upper back pop, causing him to groan once more but this time in relief. Slumping back in his chair, he set down the pencil and rubbed his hands over his face and against his eyes. Okay, so he'd get up and put these away in a minute.
Aiden heard the sound of a throat clearing beside him. Who could it possibly be? When he lowered his hands to see who was trying to get his attention, he was surprised to discover who it was.
"Vincent!"
Vincent smirked, his cheeks coloring in amused embarrassment. Aiden's exclamation had been much louder than anyone expected! It even prompted a few of the other patrons to go "Shh!" and glare at him for the sudden outburst!
Aiden's face flushed scarlet in embarrassment as he turned in his chair to smile apologetically and mouth, "I'm sorry" to a few who still continued to glare at him. Finally he turned back in his seat and grinned up at Vincent, face still colored but clearly happy to see him.
Vincent shook his head as he reached out and drew out the chair adjacent to Aiden's and muttered just loud enough for Aiden to hear, "You're gonna be the death of me, kid." Without further ado, he sat down in the chair and set down his book on the table with a soft groan.
Aiden chuckled in response and gave a slight shrug as if he had no idea what he was talking about. The gesture earned a playfully hostile glare from Vincent. It made Aiden snicker and look down; unable to meet his eyes.
Vincent stared at him a moment longer before giving an amused snort. He then cast his gaze over Aiden's collection of books. As he suspected, they appeared to be mechanic books, one about Fulgora's Eye, and another on airship construction. Interesting!
While Vincent was busy eyeing his selection, Aiden took the time to look Vincent over. He seemed a little unrested, the slightest dark circles under his eyes. And there was just something about him and how he held himself that seemed slightly off. Aiden supposed it had to do with Damien. He had no idea that Vincent had a rather humiliating encounter earlier with Damien's sister as well, which was even more reason why he appeared even more drained.
"Will you be able to get everything you need for your project?" Vincent was asking him. Aiden bit his lower lip and glanced over at his notebook at the list of items he needed to go shopping for. It was not a cheap list by any means. This would be the end of whatever finances he had left. However, thanks to Vincent's incredible generosity, that would not be a problem!
"I believe so," he replied. Then he added with a huff, "This rain may push my plans back a bit. I'm still not sure where all the stores are in town." He reached out and began collecting the books he'd taken out and stacking them into a pile so he could put them away.
"Would...would you still like to come see? You know...when I work on my project? I understand if you need more time. I'd be willing to wait for you."
Aiden was standing now, holding the books in his arms and looking hopeful, yet Vincent knew there was no real pressure to be there. And he knew Aiden really would wait for him if he asked him to. It was one of the wonderful things about Aiden: he understood that Vincent needed time and space to process through things. Today happened to be a day where he seemed to need less. Vincent had to wonder if that was why Aiden had been so surprised to see him.
"I would," Vincent responded with a slight smile. Deciding he no longer needed a second book, he suggested, "We need to discuss where and when would be best. Hm, perhaps moving this discussion to a more private location would be the most advisable. Would you like to come back to my flat? I'd be happy to point you in the right direction if you tell me which shops you are looking for." Aiden beamed at the offer! More time with Vincent? Oh, he was not going to squander this opportunity!
The men went together to put back Aiden's books then headed for the main entrance of the library. it didn't take very long for Vincent to get his book checked out and they were ready to go....or so Vincent thought. As he tucked his borrowed book under his arm and shook out his umbrella, Aiden grumbled beside him, "Damn it. I forgot my umbrella at the table. I'll be right back!"
Vincent chuckled and shook his head as Aiden turned to go back for it. He pushed the slide to open his umbrella and lifted it above his head and stepped out into the rain. He wanted to listen to the sound of the raindrops while he waited patiently for Aiden. However, his enjoyment was cut short by Aiden's upset voice moments later: "Vincent, I may have to come by later! Someone stole my umbrella! I'm sorry. It looks like everything's getting pushed back after all."
Vincent turned to look back at Aiden with surprise at the news. Aiden looked so genuinely disappointed! And it was raining even harder now than it was even a minute ago. Logically, Vincent knew Aiden would have to wait out the rain or he'd get soaked and potentially fall ill unless he ran straight back to the ship to dry off. Unfortunately, it didn't seem like the rain was going to be letting up anytime soon. So, Vincent approached Aiden and stood before him before raising his umbrella a little higher with a slight smirk as he offered, "Well, come on then. We'll share mine."
Seeing Aiden's face light up with that excited grin made Vincent's day just that much better. Aiden wasted no time stepping under the safety of the umbrella and tried not to reveal just how excited he felt!
"Thank you! I can't believe someone stole my umbrella that fast!"
"I can!" Vincent chuckled wryly and shook his head as they began to set off side by side under his umbrella. "Maybe you'll get lucky and it will stop raining by the time you're ready to head out again."
"That would be fantastic!"
They fell into silence as they walked side by side in the rain. It was pleasant, Vincent felt. He expected Aiden to be more talkative but he seemed as content as he was to enjoy each other's company like this. Aiden was simply glancing around as they walked and occasionally peeked over at Vincent who sometimes caught his little look. Then they'd exchange a small smile and look away. And as they walked, Vincent began to smell the integrating scent of the rain with Aiden's scent. It was quite nice. More than nice. Clearing his throat, Vincent gestured off to the side towards a General Store.
"Isn't that one of the shops you need to visit?" he asked, remembering Aiden's short list. Aiden looked over to see where Vincent was pointing. Sure enough it was! Aiden nodded and replied, "Yes. I don't expect you to say 'Yes' but...would you like to stop in? Since we're on the way?"
"Hm...why not? Let's go."
Vincent wasn't sure what came over him but he was quite content to go into the General Store with Aiden (who couldn't stop grinning for some reason, he thought) and follow him around as he shopped for items that he'd need. And as Aiden went through his list, Vincent saw that it really was not a very long list at all. In fact they could easily pick everything up on the way back to his flat. Once Aiden was finished paying for his items, Vincent suggested doing just that, to which Aiden readily agreed! And so they did! For the next hour, the men went to two more shops on the way back to the flat. Aiden finally had gotten everything he'd need for his endeavor!
The rain hadn't let up at all during their time out on errands. It was just as well that none of the shops had any umbrellas available for sale to replace Aiden's. He needed both his hands to carry everything! Therefore, Vincent continued to hold his umbrella for them both and enjoyed the friendly conversation with comfortable silences in between. And while Vincent still wasn't feeling his normal self, even he could tell he wasn't feeling quite as melancholy. He liked how Aiden seemed to make things better just by being there; by being himself.
When they returned to Vincent's flat, Vincent and Aiden took the Fulgora's Eye out and set it down in the middle of Vincent's sitting room. It was fun to admire it as they discussed where Aiden would take it apart. Vincent had offered up his flat since it was already here as well as Aiden's purchased equipment. All Aiden would need to do is bring over his tools from Leon's Claw. Once they had figured out the logistics of it, their conversation moved off to other enjoyable topics; just laughing and enjoying each other's company. Vincent didn't even realize it, but he was no longer thinking about yesterday or Damien. In fact, he felt as light as he often did these days...and he didn't even realize it was all because of Aiden. As for Aiden? He was happy. So happy. He was finally getting that quality alone time he'd been hoping for yesterday with Vincent. And Vincent looked so genuinely happy to have him here visiting together as he laughed and smiled again.
It was a few hours later that Vincent realized what time it was...
"I didn't realize how long we've been sitting here," he chuckled as he looked away from the clock hanging on the wall nearby. "I am expecting Bernadette anytime now."
"Oh! Should we put away the Fulgora's Eye? How has she been? Is she coming to do your dressings?"
"Mhm. She's been well. If you'd like to wait to see her, you're welcome to. And honestly, she'd likely find it fascinating. She loves to learn. And you don't have to worry about her. She doesn't have a loose tongue."
"Then we'll leave it out! Thank you! I have been hoping to see her again!"
Vincent smirked slightly as Aiden groaned and moved his stiff muscles as he made to stand. Then he went to the window to peek out. It was still a bit overcast, he saw, but the clouds seemed to be starting to finally break apart. He could even see the evening sun rays peeking through here and there. He grinned back at Vincent and exclaimed softly, "Look! It stopped raining just in time for me to leave after all!" He looked back at the sky as Vincent chuckled in response. Vincent drained the rest of his tea and stood. He picked up Aiden's teacup as well before heading towards the kitchen to rinse their cups.
"Oh, don't forget your wrench! You should grab it before you forget!"
"That's right!"
Aiden grinned sheepishly and ran his hand through his hair as he began to head back for the bedroom to retrieve it...but then there was a knock at the door! Excited to see Bernadette, Aiden decided to get the wrench later and turned with a smile as Vincent stood and went to open the door. Sure enough, there she was on the other side with a soft smile for her cousin.
"Well you look to be in good spirits today," she greeted him with a kiss on his cheek. Vincent gave her a warm smile and closed the door behind her and responded, "It's not every day I get to see you, Bernie."
"Oh you flatterer- What is THAT?!" Bernadette exclaimed as she stared straight ahead at the Fulgora's Eye with wide eyes. Then she suddenly realized Aiden was standing there as well.
"Aiden! Oh, it's good to see you!"
Aiden blushed as she hurried over and actually threw her arms around him and gave him a hug. Aiden squeezed her back tightly and grinned before turning and walking over to sit in front of the Fulgora's Eye. "It's called Fulgora's Eye! It's an exceedingly rare specimen! Have you heard of it before?"
"No! Is that lightning?!"
Bernadette stared with wide eyes and took a seat beside Aiden. And as Aiden began to launch into an explanation as to what Fulgora's Eye was, Vincent scoffed good naturedly and rolled his eyes as his cousin seemed to temporarily forget him for Aiden and his specimen. They seemed to be getting along quite well and seemed quite familiar with each other. Well, they HAD spent the better part of a week taking care of Vincent together. Were they feeling sweet on each other possibly? Vincent wondered. But no, he didn't sense any sort of romantic affection between them. Why did he care anyway? He went to take a seat on a nearby chair and listened to Aiden's lecture and pushed it out of his mind.
Vincent, as always, was happy to let Aiden do his thing; and while he'd heard most of it already before, he still got to learn more. While Bernadette's interests generally laid outside of more modern technology, she found it all quite interesting and, like Vincent, found Aiden's enthusiasm endearing. Her lack of knowledge and love of learning led to her asking lots of questions. Finally, she asked what could be done with something like Fulgora's Eye.
Aiden's eyes lit up dreamily as he explained, "Honestly, I can't wait to find out! It's more of a recent discovery and it's so rare. Who knows? But we know it can power machines! I don't know if it will replace steam powered engines but it's quite fascinating, isn't it?!"
"Aiden, why don't you tell her about Pete?" Vincent finally cut in with an amused little smirk. Aiden grinned at Vincent then looked back at Bernadette who looked confused slightly. However, she didn't have to wait for an explanation.
"Pete is my Spider Lantern! He's an artificial intelligence lantern powered by a tiny speck of Fulgora's Eye!" Aiden told her which surprised Bernadette. "He has independently moving legs and he's a never ending source of light and can communicate in his own way. He even has a personality!"
"So if you can power a small lifeless lantern and give it artificial intelligence just with a tiny speck..." Bernadette's gaze turned in fascination as she leaned in just a bit closer to inspect the pretty colors moving around in there. "And how on Earth did you find such a thing?" However, before Aiden could fumble for an appropriate answer, Vincent responded for him, "I acquired it very recently and offered it to Aiden as a 'thank you' for saving my life."
Aiden's face turned a lovely shade of red in embarrassment and he nibbled his lower lip bashfully. Bernadette glanced between the two of them and smirked slightly before sitting back in her seat. "I see. Well, that is quite a handsome reward! So what will you do with it, Aiden?"
"I'm going to pull it apart and find different uses for it. I haven't quite figured it out yet...hey, would you like to watch?! Vincent, can she watch?!"
Vincent blinked in surprise as suddenly both his cousin and friend turned to look at him hopefully. Side by side, the duo was quite a pair! He couldn't help the laugh that rumbled deep in his chest which caused him to rub his ribs gently. "Of course she can. We'll be meeting back here tomorrow afternoon at one o'clock. Aiden, why don't you bring Pete with you and introduce them?" The duo on the couch grinned at him gratefully and chorused, "Thank you!" and Bernadette added, "You bet I'll be here! I want to meet Pete!" And as Bernadette turned to speak to Aiden once again, Vincent's smile faded a little bit as he watched the two of them. His gaze lingered more on Aiden, watching how he smiled and relaxed there. He looked so perfectly at home almost as if he belonged there on his couch.
It was about ten minutes later that Bernadette finally told Aiden, "While I am enjoying our conversation, forgive me, but I must get on with taking care of Vincent's dressings. Thank you for your patience, by the way, Cousin." Vincent chuckled and shrugged as he added, "I have been enjoying both of your company, but yes, time is getting on in the day. Aiden, you'll need your rest for tomorrow. It's going to be a big day."
With that, Aiden went to safely store the Fulgora's Eye back in Vincent's bedroom in its box. He also grabbed his wrench as well. He went to bid Bernadette and Vincent farewell. And as he went to take his leave, Vincent stopped him and offered his umbrella with a genuine smile and a soft, "Just in case." Aiden wet his lips and smiled softly at the kind gesture before taking it. "Thank you. I'll see you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow. Make sure you eat a decent dinner and some rest okay?"
Behind them on the couch, Bernadette was watching with a little smirk as Aiden promised he would and took his leave. While Vincent may have thought there may have been something going on between her and Aiden, Bernadette could see more than Vincent realized. Oh, she couldn't wait to see this all come to fruition!
After Aiden left, Bernadette went with Vincent to his bedroom where he began to strip down and allow her access to his dressings. And as she began to administer treatment and clean his wounds, Vincent began to tell her about his day and how he'd met Aiden at the library. And as he spoke about what they had done for the day and how well it went, Bernadette smiled softly and just let him talk. It was good to see Vincent finally having a friend like Aiden. And as she went past the window, she glanced outside. Something made her do it. And then it began to drizzle; rain gently hitting the window.
"I didn't know when I picked him to be my engineer that he'd end up being more than just that. What luck, eh?" Vincent was saying behind her. She glanced back over her shoulder at him with a sweet smile and replied, "Very lucky, indeed. I'm very glad you picked him." And as Vincent agreed and continued to talk to her about what a wonderful friend Aiden was, she chuckled and continued on with her healing work.
Vincent may not know it yet, she thought to herself, but things were looking up more than he realized. Oh, she couldn't wait until the day came where Vincent finally saw it, too.
Next Part:
www.flickr.com/photos/153660805@N05/52826273345/in/datepo...
To read the rest of the story, here's the album link:
www.flickr.com/photos/153660805@N05/albums/72157717075565127
***Please note this is a BOY LOVE (BL/yaoi/gay) series. It is a slow burn and rated PG13!***
Special thank you to Vin Aydin Raven-Mysterious-Moonreign for collaborating with me on this series and co-starring as The Captain!
NOTE: This picture was photographed outside the Archimedes Public Library at the Babbage Palisade region on Second Life! Go check it out! Its a very nicely laid out library and great for picture taking!
~
DISCORD SERVER: That's right! The Captain and the Engineer has a Discord Server! If you would like to join and chat with other crewmates and see what's new and happening before it gets posted to Flickr, click the link!
***NEW!!!!***
The Captain and the Engineer now has a FACEBOOK PAGE! Please come Like, Follow, and join the crew! Thank you so much for all your support!
FACEBOOK PAGE:
Our Daily Challenge: Something New
A new beginning. Tom’s mother lived with us for 3-1/2 years and after her, my mom lived with us for six months. This is the bedroom that they both used. I wanted to be able to use it as a second guest bedroom, but I also wanted to use it for other purposes. The solution was a Murphy bed. I bought one at Costco and it arrived in four boxes. We put it together, a bit of a challenge, but we succeeded. Here it is.
2023 is quickly approaching. If you are interested in a fun group of fellow photographers participating in a 52 week project, please consider our new group for 2023. Each week we have a new theme for fun and photography. Here is a link to the 2023 group:
www.flickr.com/groups/52_weeks_of_2023/
My images are posted here for your enjoyment only. All rights are reserved. Please contact me through flickr if you are interested in using one of my images for any reason.
Whilst the rest of the country basked in glorious sunshine parts of the Yorkshire coast was under a sea fog or locally known as sea fret. Sadly, it did not lift. It was a bit disappointing as it was my first visit here in 5 years!!!
www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/b/bemptoncliffs/index.aspx
Top things to do in Summer
1.Experience the sights, sounds and smells of the miraculous seabird spectacle at the peak of the breeding season
2.The surrounding fields are bejewelled by glorious red campion flowers
3.Enjoy a bite to eat in the family-friendly picnic area
www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/b/bemptoncliffs/about.aspx
A family favourite, and easily the best place in England to see, hear and smell seabirds! More than 200,000 birds (from April to August) make the cliffs seem alive – with adults bringing food to their nests, or young chicks making their first faltering flights.
With huge numbers to watch, beginners can easily learn the difference between gannets, guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes and fulmars. The easily recognisable puffins (here between April and July) are always a delight. Specially-created cliff top viewpoints are wheelchair accessible with care.
You can watch our 200,000 seabirds LIVE on CCTV through the breeding season from March to October. Meet our information assistants and hear about the live action, watch it for yourself on our two TV screens and enjoy the close-up images of our nesting gannets.
Opening times
The reserve is open at all times. From March to October, the visitor centre is open daily from 9.30 am to 5 pm, and from November to February, 9.30 am to 4 pm.
Entrance charges
Entry is free of charge to members all year. There's a charge for non-members of £5 per car, minibus £8 and coach £10.
If you are new to birdwatching...
The birds are easy to see during breeding season - creating a fantastic seascape and bird spectacle. Only eight target seabird species breed here, so learning to identify birds is simple. In winter, common passerines (buntings, sparrows and finches) and short-eared owls (vary in numbers from one year to next) can be seen and identified.
Information for families
Reserve already popular with families. Various family events included in our programme throughout the year. Backpack Activity days very popular.
Information for dog owners
Dogs are welcome on the reserve, however they must be kept on leads at all times. This is to ensure that ground nesting birds are not disturbed, and also to ensure the safety of dogs on the cliff top.
www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/b/bemptoncliffs/star_speci...
Star species
Our star species are some of the most interesting birds you may see on your visit to the reserve.
Gannet
Look for stunning gannets cruising around at the base of the cliffs and fishing out to sea by rising up into the air before plunging in headfirst with their wings close.
Kittiwake
Visit Bempton in spring and early summer and your ears will be filled with the unmistakable 'kitti-wake' calls of this dainty gull. Look along the cliffs to see them packed onto their tiny nesting ledges.
Puffin
Enjoy the comical antics of puffins in spring and early summer from the viewing points on the cliffs. Watch the adults returning from fishing forays at sea with sandeels hanging from their colourful beaks.
Short-eared owl
Short-eared owls can be seen hunting over the clifftop grassland here in winter. The afternoons are a good time to spot them banking and gliding just above the ground; their piercing yellow eyes scanning for voles moving in the grass below.
Tree sparrow
Flocks of tree sparrows can be seen in the cliff top fields and are regular visitors to the feeding stations. Listen out for their conversational calls - a hard and piercing 'tek'.
www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/b/bemptoncliffs/seasonal_h...
Seasonal highlights
Each season brings a different experience at our nature reserves. In spring, the air is filled with birdsong as they compete to establish territories and attract a mate. In summer, look out for young birds making their first venture into the outside world. Autumn brings large movements of migrating birds - some heading south to a warmer climate, others seeking refuge in the UK from the cold Arctic winter. In winter, look out for large flocks of birds gathering to feed, or flying at dusk to form large roosts to keep warm.
Spring
Breeding seabirds start to return, including gannets, puffins, guillemots, razorbills, fulmars, kittiwakes, herring gulls and shags. Farmland birds such as skylarks, tree sparrows, linnets, meadow pipits, reed and corn buntings can be seen. There are normally short-eared owls and peregrines to be seen too. Migratory birds include arriving wheatears and various warblers, while over-wintering thrushes can be seen on the reserve before moving back into mainland Europe. Porpoises can often be seen on calm days while early morning visits may provide sightings of roe deer.
Summer
Breeding season is in full swing with all 200,000 seabirds with eggs or chicks. Breeding tree sparrows, whitethroats, grasshopper warblers, sedge warblers, skylarks, linnets, reed buntings, rock and meadow pipits can be seen within 200 m of the visitor centre and car park. A moderate range of the commoner butterflies may be seen on sunny days, along with day-flying moths such as cinnabars, burnet moths and occasionally hummingbird hawk-moths. Trailside flora is dominated by red campion, black knapweed, various thistles and orchids including common spotted, northern marsh and pyramidal.
Autumn
All seabirds departed and breeding finished except for gannets. The autumnal migration can be exciting at Bempton owing to its coastal location and being on a headland. Short-eared owls begin to arrive to stay for the winter (depending on food availability) but the main interest is in the arrival of migrants such as willow warblers, chiffchaffs, whitethroats, lesser whitethroats, reed warblers, sedge warblers, goldcrests, stonechats, whinchats, wheatears and redstarts. Scarce species occur annually such as red-backed shrikes, and barred and icterine warblers. October is peak time to witness the winter thrush arrival, often hundreds of redwings, blackbirds, song thrushes and fieldfares occur along with occasional ring ouzels. Offshore, movements of seabirds may be seen in ideal weather conditions (strong NW winds). These include Manx and sooty shearwaters, Arctic and great skuas. Around the car park area migrant hawker and common darter dragonflies can be seen. There is little botanical interest at this time of year.
Winter
This is normally a quiet time of year. Bracing clifftop walks and fantastic seascapes are probably the best in Yorkshire. Up to 12 short-eared owls winter here, though in poor 'vole' years there may only be a few. The bird feeding station offers food and shelter to a range of commoner species such as tree sparrows (110 have been counted), greenfinch (60), and smaller numbers of blackbirds, robins, dunnocks, wrens, chaffinches, bramblings and various tit species. The cliff face attracts very few birds except for occasional herring gulls and fulmars, but by January gannets will return in good numbers with occasional days of guillemots in good numbers too.
www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/b/bemptoncliffs/facilities...
Facilities
Facilities
•Visitor centre
•Information centre
•Car park : Car park has no height restrictions. Cycle rack available close to visitor centre.
•Toilets
•Disabled toilets
•Picnic area
•Binocular hire
•Live camera
•Group bookings accepted
•Guided walks available
•Remote location
•Good for walking
•Pushchair friendly
Viewing points
Five cliff-top viewpoints and a bird feeding station. The five viewpoints are:
Grandstand: 200 m from visitor centre/car park, accessible by wheelchairs/pushchairs with care
Bartlett Nab: 400 m from visitor centre/car park and not easily accessible by wheelchairs/pushchairs
Jubilee Corner: 900 m from visitor centre/car park, not easily accessible by wheelchairs/pushchairs
New Roll-up: 500 m from visitor centre/car park, not easily accessible by wheelchairs/pushchairs
Staple Newk: 900m from visitor centre/car park, not easily accessible by wheelchairs/pushchairs.
The bird feeding station is easily accessed, 50 m from visitor centre/car park.
Nature trails
There are two nature trails. The first nature trail leading to five cliff-top viewpoints. The most distant viewpoints are 900 m from the visitor centre. Part of the trail is crushed chalk, with the remainder over worn grass. There is easy wheelchair and pushchair access to one viewpoint only. Paths can be wet and slippery following wet weather conditions, therefore care should be taken. The discovery trail is a shorter farmland walk.
Refreshments available
•Hot drinks
•Cold drinks
•Snacks
•Confectionery
Shop
The shop stocks:
•Binoculars and telescopes
•Books
•Bird food
•Gifts
Educational facilities
The Bempton Field Teaching Scheme operates throughout the year and offers exciting educational opportunities linked with the National Curriculum. The busiest time is from May to July, when breeding seabirds are at their peak. The scheme provides a unique opportunity to discover breeding seabirds, such as gannets and puffins, as well as investigating the challenging habitats in this fantastic coastal location. A truly memorable experience!
www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/b/bemptoncliffs/accessibil...
Accessibility
26 October 2012
This is a Summary Access Statement. A full access statement is available to download from this page
Before you visit
•Clear print leaflet available on request
•Free parking for members. Parking charge for non members. Free parking for carer or essential companion
•Registered Assistance Dogs welcome
•Check accessibility for events and activities
•Wheelchair free of charge to hire. Pre-booking advised
•Live footage on TV in Visitor Centre
How to get here
•Bempton railway station is 1.25 miles away
•The nearest bus stops are on the main B1229 through the village, around 1 mile from the reserve
•No pavement on road to reserve
Car parking
•Four blue badge parking spaces 10 m (13 yards) from the visitor centre on bound gravel and paved path
•60 spaces in main car park, is a short walk to the main entrance of the visitor centre
•Overflow with 60 spaces on grass
•The path surface from the overflow car park is crushed limestone on exiting the field and after 20 m (26 yards) joins the path from the coach drop-off point (see below)
•Drop-off point 50 m (60 yards) from the visitor centre with a crushed limestone surface with a 1:10 sloped descent
•No lighting or height restrictions.
Visitor centre
Situated on ground floor level with step free access. Live footage on TV from the colony. Four circular tables with seating. Outside when weather is fine. Tiled floor surface. Artificial and natural lighting. Access ramp leads to reserve.
Nature trails
The reserve offers visitors a mixture of trails. A mix of bonded tar-spray chip, crushed limestone or mown grass. Most trails are a minimum of 1200mm/47ins wide and the majority lead to the cliff top viewing points (see Viewing Facilities below).
Viewing facilities
Five built viewpoints along the cliff top path, most have seats. In the Visitor Centre there is live footage on TV of the colony. From car park to exit is The Dell - good for small migrant birds - with a narrow grass path with inclines to and from two seats. A bird feeding station is off the path between the coach park and visitor centre.
Toilets
There are toilets and an accessible toilets outside the visitor centre, with level access to all. Note there are no toilet facilities beyond the visitor centre.
Catering
A servery with a hatch facing outside the visitor centre offering hot and cold beverages, snacks and ice creams. Hatch is 900 mm (36 inches) from the ground.
Shop
The shop is within the visitor centre. Staff and volunteers can assist. There is level entry and no doors to enter apart from those at the main entrance. The shop is lit with spot lamps.
Education area
There is currently a short mown grass square to the rear of the visitor centre which serves as an outdoor classroom reached via the access ramp.
Picnic area
Seven picnic tables - four on grass and three with spaces for wheelchairs on crushed limestone surface - situated 25 m/30 yards from the visitor centre.
For more information
Bempton Cliffs
E-mail: bempton.cliffs@rspb.org.uk
Telephone:01262 851179
YO15 1JF
www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/b/bemptoncliffs/directions...
How to get here
By train
Nearest railway station 200 m south of Bempton village. Exit station and turn left, follow road down to church, walk up lane adjacent to church to staggered cross-road junction. Walk across road and take the road adjacent to the White Horse public house, northwards to the reserve. Total walking distance 1.5 miles (2.4 km). Walking time 40 minutes.
By bus
Nearest bus stop in Bempton village, 1 mile (1.5 km) from the reserve. Buses will drop off at any point on request. Disembark at White Horse public house and follow road northwards up the lane to the reserve. Walking time 30 minutes.
By road
The reserve is on the cliff road from the village of Bempton, which is on the B1229 road from Flamborough to Filey. In Bempton village, turn northwards at the White Horse public house and the reserve is at the end of the road after 1 mile (follow the brown tourist signs).
Other ways to get to the reserve
Trains and buses stop at Bempton, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from the reserve. The timetables are seasonal so we advise you call the Visitor Centre for further details. Nearest ferry port in Hull and Humberside Airport in north Lincolnshire.
www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/b/bemptoncliffs/ourwork/in...
Management
Our Bempton Cliffs reserve, on the Yorkshire coast, protects over five kilometres of sea cliffs. From April to mid-August, these support England's largest population of seabirds. Grassland and scrub along the cliff tops are also home to breeding and wintering farmland birds.
The RSPB is managing the reserve for the benefit of its wildlife, which also includes seals and porpoises, and with a long-term view to upgrading its protection status.
Cliff-face communities
Bempton's breeding seabirds are internationally important, making the cliffs both a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Protection Area.
Species include kittiwakes, gannets, guillemot, razorbills and puffins. We have specific targets for every one: for instance, we would like to maintain a yearly kittiwake population of 43,000 nesting pairs, producing at least one young each.
During the breeding season, our cliff-top patrols help prevent disturbance by visitors and fishermen.
Leading by example
Unfortunately seabird colonies are vulnerable to environmental threats that lie beyond our control. These include climate change and industrial fishing, which affect the birds' food supplies. We aim to use Bempton to highlight these issues, so that key decision makers will take action to safeguard the long-term future of seabirds. We hope this will lead to Bempton being designated a marine Special Conservation Area.
Room at the top
The grassland and scrub at the top of the cliffs are home to farmland birds such as tree sparrows, skylarks and linnets. Short-eared owls also spend winter here.
We are cutting back scrub and harrowing grassland in order to increase the population of insects and small mammals on which all these birds feed. We also put out extra food when necessary.
Vision for visitors
The seabird spectacle at Bempton makes the reserve very popular during summer, while the farmland birds help generate interest all-year-round. We aim to continue attracting and educating people, and inspiring them to support the marine environment.
Our facilities currently include a shop, picnic area and cliff top walks. We aim to develop these, with a view to increasing numbers to 60,000 visitors per annum over the next five years.
Tracking gannets
For the first time, we're finding out where Bempton's gannets go when they're away from the colony.
RSPB scientists have fitted satellite tags to a number of adult gannets so that we can monitor where they go to catch fish. The tags are designed so that they don't hurt or hinder the birds, and they will eventually fall off when the gannets grow new tail feathers, if not sooner.
We need to find out whether the birds are using areas which the government has earmarked as potential wind farms, and how that might affect them. This information will be used to help plan where to put wind turbines at sea.
What we're doing
•Fourteen adult gannets were fitted with satellite tags in July 2010 (and another 13 in July 2011)
•In 2010 we got data from all 14 tags during the time when the gannets were rearing their chicks, and several kept transmitting data late into the breeding season
•The highest density of recorded locations at sea was within 31-62 miles (50-100 km) of Bempton Cliffs
•The greatest overlap with any of the proposed wind farm areas was with the Hornsea zone, which is nearest to Bempton
•These results are from just one breeding season, so it's unclear just how representative they are of what Bempton's gannets do. We'll monitor them again in future breeding seasons to learn more.
You can find out more about this work on the gannet tracking project page.
1899, the United States of America
After some adventures Arthur Morgan return to Rhodes, a town in the southwest of Saint Denis. As he walk through the town he perceive a man which walks near the gunsmith. The man stops walking and Arthur hears a voice but the man doesn't speak. The citizen kneel to the gunsmith and talks to the basement grid. There is a young man which is locked-in into the basement of the gunsmith shop. The man doesn't want to help the young boy but he gets Arthur's attention. After the citizen left the scene Arthur walks to the grid and talks with the boy: the gunsmith has locked him in and he is crazy, the boy needs Morgans help.
Arthur wants to help him so he put on his mask and go into the gunsmith shop, aim with his gun on the seller and force him to show Arthur the basement. Both walk down the stairs and there is a young boy which is linked to a bed. The basement looks like a nursery. The gunsmith explains that he lost his child and one day he met the young boy which looks like his lost child so he decided to kidnap him and put him a sailor shirt on, because his child wears it often. Morgan release the trapped boy and left the gunsmith shop. What will Arthur do with the gunsmith , will he kill him or will he let him alive ?
For my 10th Red Dead Redemption 2 MOC I want to build something different and something bigger then my last 2 MOCs. I decided to build the gunsmith shop because of the interesting background Story with the kidnaped boy in the basement. Unfortunately there isn't a fitting part or sticker for the
gunsmith sign so I only build the sign without letters on it, but I think it works well.
I hope you like my 10th collaboration creation and I would be pleased to get feedback .
Greetings Kevin
Here is a reference video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esd3N-HKQmk
Robin which hops indoors often this summer.It waits outside while we put the key in the door and hops on to the doormat while we are still standing on it ourselves!
I think it is a broody female getting ready for her second brood as a male has been feeding her and she rests in the bushes and asks for mealworms as she knows we have some. ;)
I know...these old shoes are really passed it! There are not mine. lol
All my photos and written word have copyright and belong to me, LizzieDeb. Strictly no use of any picture without my written permission. Thank you.
Message me on Flickr, or click my Alamy images link on my profile if you wish to see my available images.
More of my images here. www.photoharvester.co.uk
Please NO large icons or banners to Flickriver etc. I delete them. Thank you for your comments. :)
I couldn't get a decent photo of this but wanted to share it so I could add a link to this extraordinary cake recipe. It's a relatively healthy chocolate cake - yes, really!
I was given an unexpected present of the Green and Blacks Organic Ultimate Chocolate Recipes - a collection from many different sources. Browsing through as my bedtime reading on Friday night I came across this cake, actually by Harry Eastwood, from her Red Velvet and Chocolate Heartache Book (which, incidentally, has gone straight on to my Amazon Wishlist!). Harry says, 'This cake is sad. It's dark and drizzling down the window panes. She puffs her chest in hope when she goes into the oven; she then breaks, like a chest heaving a sob. This is why aubergine (the Eeyore of the vegetable world) is the right kind of friend to hold your hand'.
Well, you've probably guessed that this cake contains aubergines! Please don't be put off. The description, along with some home grown aubergines from my neighbour lurking in the fridge, meant I had to try this one for myself. It's very dark, very rich, fudgey and indulgent - needing the sharpness of raspberries to cut through the richness. It's very good served slightly warmed. Mine is a little smaller than the linked recipe, I didn't have enough honey so scaled everything down and baked it in a 20 cm tin rather than a 23 cm.
I found it reproduced on an online blog, here is the link:
The full size cake should serve 14 - yes, small slices but that is all you need. Just 216 cals and 10 g of fat per slice.
Whilst the rest of the country basked in glorious sunshine parts of the Yorkshire coast was under a sea fog or locally known as sea fret. Sadly, it did not lift. It was a bit disappointing as it was my first visit here in 5 years!!!
www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/b/bemptoncliffs/index.aspx
Top things to do in Summer
1.Experience the sights, sounds and smells of the miraculous seabird spectacle at the peak of the breeding season
2.The surrounding fields are bejewelled by glorious red campion flowers
3.Enjoy a bite to eat in the family-friendly picnic area
www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/b/bemptoncliffs/about.aspx
A family favourite, and easily the best place in England to see, hear and smell seabirds! More than 200,000 birds (from April to August) make the cliffs seem alive – with adults bringing food to their nests, or young chicks making their first faltering flights.
With huge numbers to watch, beginners can easily learn the difference between gannets, guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes and fulmars. The easily recognisable puffins (here between April and July) are always a delight. Specially-created cliff top viewpoints are wheelchair accessible with care.
You can watch our 200,000 seabirds LIVE on CCTV through the breeding season from March to October. Meet our information assistants and hear about the live action, watch it for yourself on our two TV screens and enjoy the close-up images of our nesting gannets.
Opening times
The reserve is open at all times. From March to October, the visitor centre is open daily from 9.30 am to 5 pm, and from November to February, 9.30 am to 4 pm.
Entrance charges
Entry is free of charge to members all year. There's a charge for non-members of £5 per car, minibus £8 and coach £10.
If you are new to birdwatching...
The birds are easy to see during breeding season - creating a fantastic seascape and bird spectacle. Only eight target seabird species breed here, so learning to identify birds is simple. In winter, common passerines (buntings, sparrows and finches) and short-eared owls (vary in numbers from one year to next) can be seen and identified.
Information for families
Reserve already popular with families. Various family events included in our programme throughout the year. Backpack Activity days very popular.
Information for dog owners
Dogs are welcome on the reserve, however they must be kept on leads at all times. This is to ensure that ground nesting birds are not disturbed, and also to ensure the safety of dogs on the cliff top.
www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/b/bemptoncliffs/star_speci...
Star species
Our star species are some of the most interesting birds you may see on your visit to the reserve.
Gannet
Look for stunning gannets cruising around at the base of the cliffs and fishing out to sea by rising up into the air before plunging in headfirst with their wings close.
Kittiwake
Visit Bempton in spring and early summer and your ears will be filled with the unmistakable 'kitti-wake' calls of this dainty gull. Look along the cliffs to see them packed onto their tiny nesting ledges.
Puffin
Enjoy the comical antics of puffins in spring and early summer from the viewing points on the cliffs. Watch the adults returning from fishing forays at sea with sandeels hanging from their colourful beaks.
Short-eared owl
Short-eared owls can be seen hunting over the clifftop grassland here in winter. The afternoons are a good time to spot them banking and gliding just above the ground; their piercing yellow eyes scanning for voles moving in the grass below.
Tree sparrow
Flocks of tree sparrows can be seen in the cliff top fields and are regular visitors to the feeding stations. Listen out for their conversational calls - a hard and piercing 'tek'.
www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/b/bemptoncliffs/seasonal_h...
Seasonal highlights
Each season brings a different experience at our nature reserves. In spring, the air is filled with birdsong as they compete to establish territories and attract a mate. In summer, look out for young birds making their first venture into the outside world. Autumn brings large movements of migrating birds - some heading south to a warmer climate, others seeking refuge in the UK from the cold Arctic winter. In winter, look out for large flocks of birds gathering to feed, or flying at dusk to form large roosts to keep warm.
Spring
Breeding seabirds start to return, including gannets, puffins, guillemots, razorbills, fulmars, kittiwakes, herring gulls and shags. Farmland birds such as skylarks, tree sparrows, linnets, meadow pipits, reed and corn buntings can be seen. There are normally short-eared owls and peregrines to be seen too. Migratory birds include arriving wheatears and various warblers, while over-wintering thrushes can be seen on the reserve before moving back into mainland Europe. Porpoises can often be seen on calm days while early morning visits may provide sightings of roe deer.
Summer
Breeding season is in full swing with all 200,000 seabirds with eggs or chicks. Breeding tree sparrows, whitethroats, grasshopper warblers, sedge warblers, skylarks, linnets, reed buntings, rock and meadow pipits can be seen within 200 m of the visitor centre and car park. A moderate range of the commoner butterflies may be seen on sunny days, along with day-flying moths such as cinnabars, burnet moths and occasionally hummingbird hawk-moths. Trailside flora is dominated by red campion, black knapweed, various thistles and orchids including common spotted, northern marsh and pyramidal.
Autumn
All seabirds departed and breeding finished except for gannets. The autumnal migration can be exciting at Bempton owing to its coastal location and being on a headland. Short-eared owls begin to arrive to stay for the winter (depending on food availability) but the main interest is in the arrival of migrants such as willow warblers, chiffchaffs, whitethroats, lesser whitethroats, reed warblers, sedge warblers, goldcrests, stonechats, whinchats, wheatears and redstarts. Scarce species occur annually such as red-backed shrikes, and barred and icterine warblers. October is peak time to witness the winter thrush arrival, often hundreds of redwings, blackbirds, song thrushes and fieldfares occur along with occasional ring ouzels. Offshore, movements of seabirds may be seen in ideal weather conditions (strong NW winds). These include Manx and sooty shearwaters, Arctic and great skuas. Around the car park area migrant hawker and common darter dragonflies can be seen. There is little botanical interest at this time of year.
Winter
This is normally a quiet time of year. Bracing clifftop walks and fantastic seascapes are probably the best in Yorkshire. Up to 12 short-eared owls winter here, though in poor 'vole' years there may only be a few. The bird feeding station offers food and shelter to a range of commoner species such as tree sparrows (110 have been counted), greenfinch (60), and smaller numbers of blackbirds, robins, dunnocks, wrens, chaffinches, bramblings and various tit species. The cliff face attracts very few birds except for occasional herring gulls and fulmars, but by January gannets will return in good numbers with occasional days of guillemots in good numbers too.
www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/b/bemptoncliffs/facilities...
Facilities
Facilities
•Visitor centre
•Information centre
•Car park : Car park has no height restrictions. Cycle rack available close to visitor centre.
•Toilets
•Disabled toilets
•Picnic area
•Binocular hire
•Live camera
•Group bookings accepted
•Guided walks available
•Remote location
•Good for walking
•Pushchair friendly
Viewing points
Five cliff-top viewpoints and a bird feeding station. The five viewpoints are:
Grandstand: 200 m from visitor centre/car park, accessible by wheelchairs/pushchairs with care
Bartlett Nab: 400 m from visitor centre/car park and not easily accessible by wheelchairs/pushchairs
Jubilee Corner: 900 m from visitor centre/car park, not easily accessible by wheelchairs/pushchairs
New Roll-up: 500 m from visitor centre/car park, not easily accessible by wheelchairs/pushchairs
Staple Newk: 900m from visitor centre/car park, not easily accessible by wheelchairs/pushchairs.
The bird feeding station is easily accessed, 50 m from visitor centre/car park.
Nature trails
There are two nature trails. The first nature trail leading to five cliff-top viewpoints. The most distant viewpoints are 900 m from the visitor centre. Part of the trail is crushed chalk, with the remainder over worn grass. There is easy wheelchair and pushchair access to one viewpoint only. Paths can be wet and slippery following wet weather conditions, therefore care should be taken. The discovery trail is a shorter farmland walk.
Refreshments available
•Hot drinks
•Cold drinks
•Snacks
•Confectionery
Shop
The shop stocks:
•Binoculars and telescopes
•Books
•Bird food
•Gifts
Educational facilities
The Bempton Field Teaching Scheme operates throughout the year and offers exciting educational opportunities linked with the National Curriculum. The busiest time is from May to July, when breeding seabirds are at their peak. The scheme provides a unique opportunity to discover breeding seabirds, such as gannets and puffins, as well as investigating the challenging habitats in this fantastic coastal location. A truly memorable experience!
www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/b/bemptoncliffs/accessibil...
Accessibility
26 October 2012
This is a Summary Access Statement. A full access statement is available to download from this page
Before you visit
•Clear print leaflet available on request
•Free parking for members. Parking charge for non members. Free parking for carer or essential companion
•Registered Assistance Dogs welcome
•Check accessibility for events and activities
•Wheelchair free of charge to hire. Pre-booking advised
•Live footage on TV in Visitor Centre
How to get here
•Bempton railway station is 1.25 miles away
•The nearest bus stops are on the main B1229 through the village, around 1 mile from the reserve
•No pavement on road to reserve
Car parking
•Four blue badge parking spaces 10 m (13 yards) from the visitor centre on bound gravel and paved path
•60 spaces in main car park, is a short walk to the main entrance of the visitor centre
•Overflow with 60 spaces on grass
•The path surface from the overflow car park is crushed limestone on exiting the field and after 20 m (26 yards) joins the path from the coach drop-off point (see below)
•Drop-off point 50 m (60 yards) from the visitor centre with a crushed limestone surface with a 1:10 sloped descent
•No lighting or height restrictions.
Visitor centre
Situated on ground floor level with step free access. Live footage on TV from the colony. Four circular tables with seating. Outside when weather is fine. Tiled floor surface. Artificial and natural lighting. Access ramp leads to reserve.
Nature trails
The reserve offers visitors a mixture of trails. A mix of bonded tar-spray chip, crushed limestone or mown grass. Most trails are a minimum of 1200mm/47ins wide and the majority lead to the cliff top viewing points (see Viewing Facilities below).
Viewing facilities
Five built viewpoints along the cliff top path, most have seats. In the Visitor Centre there is live footage on TV of the colony. From car park to exit is The Dell - good for small migrant birds - with a narrow grass path with inclines to and from two seats. A bird feeding station is off the path between the coach park and visitor centre.
Toilets
There are toilets and an accessible toilets outside the visitor centre, with level access to all. Note there are no toilet facilities beyond the visitor centre.
Catering
A servery with a hatch facing outside the visitor centre offering hot and cold beverages, snacks and ice creams. Hatch is 900 mm (36 inches) from the ground.
Shop
The shop is within the visitor centre. Staff and volunteers can assist. There is level entry and no doors to enter apart from those at the main entrance. The shop is lit with spot lamps.
Education area
There is currently a short mown grass square to the rear of the visitor centre which serves as an outdoor classroom reached via the access ramp.
Picnic area
Seven picnic tables - four on grass and three with spaces for wheelchairs on crushed limestone surface - situated 25 m/30 yards from the visitor centre.
For more information
Bempton Cliffs
E-mail: bempton.cliffs@rspb.org.uk
Telephone:01262 851179
YO15 1JF
www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/b/bemptoncliffs/directions...
How to get here
By train
Nearest railway station 200 m south of Bempton village. Exit station and turn left, follow road down to church, walk up lane adjacent to church to staggered cross-road junction. Walk across road and take the road adjacent to the White Horse public house, northwards to the reserve. Total walking distance 1.5 miles (2.4 km). Walking time 40 minutes.
By bus
Nearest bus stop in Bempton village, 1 mile (1.5 km) from the reserve. Buses will drop off at any point on request. Disembark at White Horse public house and follow road northwards up the lane to the reserve. Walking time 30 minutes.
By road
The reserve is on the cliff road from the village of Bempton, which is on the B1229 road from Flamborough to Filey. In Bempton village, turn northwards at the White Horse public house and the reserve is at the end of the road after 1 mile (follow the brown tourist signs).
Other ways to get to the reserve
Trains and buses stop at Bempton, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from the reserve. The timetables are seasonal so we advise you call the Visitor Centre for further details. Nearest ferry port in Hull and Humberside Airport in north Lincolnshire.
www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/b/bemptoncliffs/ourwork/in...
Management
Our Bempton Cliffs reserve, on the Yorkshire coast, protects over five kilometres of sea cliffs. From April to mid-August, these support England's largest population of seabirds. Grassland and scrub along the cliff tops are also home to breeding and wintering farmland birds.
The RSPB is managing the reserve for the benefit of its wildlife, which also includes seals and porpoises, and with a long-term view to upgrading its protection status.
Cliff-face communities
Bempton's breeding seabirds are internationally important, making the cliffs both a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Protection Area.
Species include kittiwakes, gannets, guillemot, razorbills and puffins. We have specific targets for every one: for instance, we would like to maintain a yearly kittiwake population of 43,000 nesting pairs, producing at least one young each.
During the breeding season, our cliff-top patrols help prevent disturbance by visitors and fishermen.
Leading by example
Unfortunately seabird colonies are vulnerable to environmental threats that lie beyond our control. These include climate change and industrial fishing, which affect the birds' food supplies. We aim to use Bempton to highlight these issues, so that key decision makers will take action to safeguard the long-term future of seabirds. We hope this will lead to Bempton being designated a marine Special Conservation Area.
Room at the top
The grassland and scrub at the top of the cliffs are home to farmland birds such as tree sparrows, skylarks and linnets. Short-eared owls also spend winter here.
We are cutting back scrub and harrowing grassland in order to increase the population of insects and small mammals on which all these birds feed. We also put out extra food when necessary.
Vision for visitors
The seabird spectacle at Bempton makes the reserve very popular during summer, while the farmland birds help generate interest all-year-round. We aim to continue attracting and educating people, and inspiring them to support the marine environment.
Our facilities currently include a shop, picnic area and cliff top walks. We aim to develop these, with a view to increasing numbers to 60,000 visitors per annum over the next five years.
Tracking gannets
For the first time, we're finding out where Bempton's gannets go when they're away from the colony.
RSPB scientists have fitted satellite tags to a number of adult gannets so that we can monitor where they go to catch fish. The tags are designed so that they don't hurt or hinder the birds, and they will eventually fall off when the gannets grow new tail feathers, if not sooner.
We need to find out whether the birds are using areas which the government has earmarked as potential wind farms, and how that might affect them. This information will be used to help plan where to put wind turbines at sea.
What we're doing
•Fourteen adult gannets were fitted with satellite tags in July 2010 (and another 13 in July 2011)
•In 2010 we got data from all 14 tags during the time when the gannets were rearing their chicks, and several kept transmitting data late into the breeding season
•The highest density of recorded locations at sea was within 31-62 miles (50-100 km) of Bempton Cliffs
•The greatest overlap with any of the proposed wind farm areas was with the Hornsea zone, which is nearest to Bempton
•These results are from just one breeding season, so it's unclear just how representative they are of what Bempton's gannets do. We'll monitor them again in future breeding seasons to learn more.
You can find out more about this work on the gannet tracking project page.
This weekend, Montreal was "invaded" by thousands upon thousands of Painted Lady butterflies! A rather fun invasion! According to news reports (one and two, in French), they are here in unheard-of numbers. Experts say that contrary winds forced them to land here, whereas they normally fly way above us during their annual migration.
I find photographing butterflies very challenging, so I tried various lenses and compositions.
This one is almost my usual macro style. Pentax D-FA 100mm F/2.8 WR Macro with off-camera diffused Godox V850ii flash. This was with the lens focused between 1:1.2 and 1:1.5 macro reproduction ratio, so the frame would be between 28 and 35mm wide. Getting this shot took a lot of patience and determination.
IMPORTANT:
If you would like to use this photo in a way that is appropriate under its Creative Commons license, you are welcome to do so, but please make sure to credit me by my real name and Flickr handle, and please also include a link to the Flickr page of the photo, as well as a link to the relevant Creative Commons license text. I have put examples of proper attribution on my profile page. Optionally, you may also send me a little note about your use... :)
For any other type of use, please contact me to properly license this image.
Thank you!
(IMGP8787_EtcShrp4)
For We're Here - Misheard Lyrics Imagined
I have a friend who heard “They beat up a meatball, they beat up a meatball” in the song “The Beautiful People” by Marilyn Manson. We have never let her forget it. In fact, I might just send her a link to this image. LOL
Put some zing into your 365! Join We're Here!
Today, 23 December 2016, we are having a heavily overcast day and the snow is steadily falling. Just noticed that there is a Snowfall Warning in effect. The temperature is -6C (windchill -11C). I don't think I need to go out, though, unless to the mailbox. Wish the old days were still here, when the mailman actually put mail in the mailbox right by your front door, instead of everyone having to use community boxes.
I had my Christmas yesterday, 22 December, with my daughter. We drove south of the city to the Saskatoon Farm and had a delicious breakfast. She is in so much pain that we can't go for a drive to look for Snowy Owls or old barns. She has an appointment next month and is more than ready to take the absolute earliest date for her surgery. On the way to drop her off at home, we called in at the Glamorgan Bakery - a well-known bakery that we have used for the last few decades. It always feels good to see their traditional cookies, Cheese Buns, cakes and pies. Thanks, Rachel, for a lovely few hours spent together - the best Christmas gift possible.
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After two years, nearly 50,000 votes and thousands of public and expert comments, the Gray Jay is the bird that has finally been chosen as the National Bird of Canada. For all the reasons this bird was chosen, see the link below.
www.canadiangeographic.ca/article/meet-our-national-bird-...
www.calgaryherald.com/news/national/98hardy+intelligent+g...
This photo was taken three years ago, on 15 December 2013, when friends and I drove out to Kananaskis and along the Smith-Dorrien-Spray Trail. They were really hoping to see Moose that day. For me, seeing anything from scenery to maybe a bird or two, is more than enough to keep me happy : ) The only birds we saw were a couple of Ravens and two (or was it three?) Gray Jays (seen in the photo above) and a beautiful male Spruce Grouse. The latter was down on the road when we first saw it in the distance, eating gravel to help its digestive system. Wouldn't you know it, just at that moment, a vehicle came from the opposite direction around a corner, and the bird flew up into a tree and "hid" behind a tangle of branches. You know how that goes - any birder / photographer will have had many similar experiences. I was able to take photos, but nothing too brilliant. Just thrilled to see the Grouse, though, especially a male.
There was a lot of snow on the ground out there, though not on the trees. The road itself had been ploughed, which made driving easier. In one spot, the snow plough must have ploughed a little closer to the snowbank along the edge of the road and then drifting snow had been blown on top. Our front wheels started out in snow that was maybe an inch deep, but the deeper snow pulled the car closer and closer to the snowbank - and into the ditch we went!! We were only driving slowly, thank goodness. The snow came well up my side of the car and there was no way I could open the door and get out. Within just a matter of minutes, on this quiet mountain road where we had seen little traffic all day, several cars all came at once. Everyone stopped, discussed the situation, and within a very short time, one of them attached a rope and had us pulled out of the ditch. To say we were very thankful and grateful is an understatement! Can't thank all those people enough for rescuing us - it was later in the day and I knew that light would be fading, and I had visions of us having to spend a very cold night in the car! So, it felt wonderful to once again be on solid ground! For years, I have read about how dangerous this gravel road is, especially in bad weather, but I'd never pictured ending up in a snowbank and ditch, lol. This was just one moment of bad luck. One that thankfully ended safely, so we were able to laugh about it afterwards.
Reported by CBC News on 21 December 2013:
"December (2013) SNOWFALL in Calgary has broken a 112-year record according to the city. The City made the announcement in a tweet Saturday morning after weeks of on-and-off heavy snowfall left many residents complaining about the lack of snow removal in parts of Calgary.
"A total of 43.8 cm of snow has fallen in Calgary this month. We haven’t seen this much snow in 112 years!" tweeted the City."
**Trigger Warning** This chapter involves references of gory violence.
Blood dripped from Aiden's wrench into the growing pool of blood as he stood above the unmoving body of Micah. Breathing heavily, Aiden felt his rage slowly seep out of him as he realized he'd done it! He'd killed the bastard who dared to hurt Vincent!
From inside his cell, Vincent lay there on his stomach, propped up on his hand and elbow as he stared with wide eyes. It had happened so quickly! But what shocked him the most was how Aiden had taken down Micah without hesitation. After a long moment of silence, Vincent licked his lips and finally spoke with a small humorless chuckle.
"Remind me to never get on your bad side."
At the sound of his voice, Aiden's gaze lifted from the dead man at his feet to take in the sight of Vincent as he lay there on the stone floor. Now that he had a moment to really look at him, Aiden saw the bruises and cuts that adorned Vincent's face and arms.
"Oh shit, Vincent..."
Aiden dropped the wrench as it clattered to the ground and stepped over Micah's lifeless body. He quickly moved into the cell to kneel by Vincent's side while summoning Pete over his shoulder, "Pete, come!"
Immediately the lantern obeyed and made its way around the cell bars, illuminating the cell completely. Vincent's eyes flicked towards the small lantern and recognized it as the lantern Aiden had brought aboard the ship a few weeks ago on one of his outings. Despite the pain flaring in his side, he fleetingly felt impressed in Aiden's ability to have gotten it to actually work somehow.
"Vincent!"
Ignoring Aiden's fussing, Vincent had begun to push himself to sit back on his buttocks, grimacing and clenching his teeth as white hot pain flared to life in his left rib cage once again. Breathing slowly and deeply, he closed his eyes and tried to block out the pain as he caressed his broken ribs. When he opened his eyes a few seconds later, he was met with Aiden's concerned gaze.
"I'm okay," he assured Aiden but Aiden scowled at him, his eyes shifting to inspect the nasty cut and bruise along his ribs where he'd been kicked.
"Like hell you are! Bloody hell, Vincent, let me help you!"
"I'm fine!"
"No you're not!"
Vincent scowled at Aiden who just stared back at him so seriously. After a moment, Aiden licked his lips and pleaded in a softer tone but no less determined, "Please? You're not okay. Please let me help you."
Vincent gazed back into his eyes and after a moment, he gave a sigh and nodded reluctantly. He knew Aiden was right; he was badly injured and having help would keep it from worsening. Aiden pushed up from his kneeling position and then leaned down and slid his arms under Vincent's armpits and held him close. He quietly gave a countdown once Vincent slid his arms over Aiden's shoulders.
"Ready?"
"Ready."
"One. Two. Three."
On three Aiden began to lift Vincent carefully to his feet. Vincent's arms tightened over Aiden's shoulders and he clenched his teeth to keep from crying out as his body screamed at him for relief. After a moment, Aiden was surprised as Vincent lowered his arms and took a small step back and held his side.
"I'm okay, Aiden. Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Aiden's brows furrowed as he gazed at his captain and the expression on his face clearly indicated he didn't believe him. Vincent ignored the look and went to make his way towards the cell door, breathing slowly and carefully. Behind him, Aiden followed with Pete trailing behind him.
Aiden leaned down to pick up the wrench from the ground when he heard Vincent grunt ahead of him. His head snapped up to see what was wrong and watched as Vincent leaned against the wall and was clearly not doing so well.
Realizing Vincent needed his help, Aiden abandoned the wrench. There was no way he'd be able to help Vincent out of here AND carry the wrench! He went over to Vincent and placed his hand on his shoulder and said gently, "We really need to get you to a doctor."
Vincent opened his eyes and glanced over at Aiden, seeing his worried face blur as a dizzy spell washed over him. Grimacing at the combination of pain and dizziness, he fought back a wave of nausea as he grunted, "No. Not yet. Thorn's still in the building."
"Not yet? You want to find him NOW?!"
"Yes. Now."
Staring into each other's eyes, Aiden finally relented. He sure hoped Vincent knew what he was doing.
"You're so stubborn. Fine...where is he?"
"Stubbornness keeps me alive. And I'm willing to bet he's up at the very top."
Vincent pushed aside the dizziness and took a deep breath as he turned to go up the stairs. However, before he could even set his foot on the first stair, he felt Aiden's arm gently slide around his waist.
"What are you doing?!"
"Have you SEEN how big this place is? It's huge! If you want to go to the top, let me help you. Please?"
Vincent stared at him for a long moment and then grumbled incoherently before he reluctantly slid his arm up over Aiden's shoulder. Secretly pleased that Vincent was willing to accept his help, Aiden reached up and took Vincent's hand and began to help him up the staircase. A moment later Pete scurried up ahead of them and led the way up the stairs.
Vincent didn't want the help but he knew Aiden was right. Damn right he was going to be stubborn about it but if he was going to be forced to accept help, he wasn't going to like it!
However, a few steps up the staircase, Aiden heard Vincent mutter, "Thank you." Even as grumbly as he was, Aiden could hear the sincerity in his voice. With a small reassuring smile, Aiden glanced back at Vincent and replied, "You're welcome, Cap'n."
With adrenaline fueling them, the two comrades continued to make their way up the stairs towards the topmost floor...
...Upstairs in his private quarters, Thorn was ready to wind down for the rest of the night. He'd sent Micah to his own quarters a short while ago and his captive was secured in his cell for the night. All would be quiet until tomorrow as planned. Now that he'd straightened Micah out, there should be no more surprises.
Tossing his rose eyepatch aside on his nightstand, Thorn sighed to himself and rubbed his face. What a stressful day! Thank fucking God it was over.
Glancing up, Thorn's gaze shifted across the room to where he kept some of his favorite loot possessions: a mirror once belonging to royalty, pure gold wine pitcher and wine goblets...and then among them was his absolute prized possession: a large lantern which contained one of the rarest materials known to man: Fulgora's Eye*. Dazzling and beautiful, he'd found it not long ago at a museum and snatched it up! Remembering the heist and how splendidly it went, Thorn smirked as he rose from the bed and walked across the room to admire the stunning self-sustaining energy. Already he was feeling better.
As he approached, his mind began to turn about the value of such an item. He knew it would fetch an exceedingly hefty sum. After all, even a small piece the size of a pebble could cost a man his whole life's savings. And this? Well this piece was easily the size of a grapefruit. Thorn knew he could sell it and live a life of luxury!
'Maybe I won't sell it,' he thought to himself as he approached the table. It was such a dazzling piece...
Creeeek...CLANG!
Startled, Thorn turned and glanced over his shoulder. What the fuck was that?! Honestly it sounded like a clang of one of the iron doors out on the other side of the catwalk outside his room. Why wasn't Micah in his damned room like he was told?! With a sigh, Thorn cursed under his breath and stomped his way across the room towards his door.
Wrenching the door open, he glared across the way and opened his mouth to snarl at Micah when he realized it wasn't Micah across the catwalk at all.
It was Vincent.
*For more information on Fulgora's Eye, please reference:
19. The Captain and The Engineer: The Newest Crewmate
www.flickr.com/photos/153660805@N05/51186193945
**
Next Part: www.flickr.com/photos/153660805@N05/51955140105/
To read the rest of the story, here's the album link:
www.flickr.com/photos/153660805@N05/albums/72157717075565127
***Please note this is a BOY LOVE (BL/yaoi/gay) series. It is a slow burn and rated PG13!***
***
Special thank you to Vin Aydin Raven-Mysterious for collaborating with me on this series and co-starring as The Captain! He not only created the poses for this scene, he also put together the creative layering of this chapter's pictures!
And of course, thank you to Diavkha for starring as the villainous Thorn!
You can check out both of their creative, amazing photography in People in Photo!
~
DISCORD SERVER: That's right! The Captain and the Engineer has a Discord Server! If you would like to join and chat with other crewmates and see what's new and happening before it gets posted to Flickr, click the link!
***NEW!!!!***
The Captain and the Engineer now has a FACEBOOK PAGE! Please come Like, Follow, and join the crew! Thank you so much for all your support!
FACEBOOK PAGE:
Title.
Locker number 1149. Someone's memories still reside there.
ロッカーナンバー１１４９。そこにはまだ誰かの記憶が置かれていた。
(FUJIFILM GFX 50R shot)
Tokyo Big Sight. Ariake. Koto-ku. Tokyo. Japan. November 2024. … 6 / 7
(Today's photo. It is unpublished.)
東京ビッグサイト。有明。江東区。東京都。日本。2024年11月。 … 6 / 7
(今日の写真。それは未発表です。）
【7 photos title: Reminiscence】
【７枚の写真のタイトル：追憶】
images.
Number_i … Bye 24/7
youtu.be/CpyaODl0bSY?si=P3_1QW9LFfbJj6Gz
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Number_i のアルバムがGJでオジサンのヘビロテ😃
youtu.be/yxR0_vRkQm0?si=-VdbmwCIOsMtZ3Pe
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タイトル
“” A.I. アップルのアイデンティティについて””
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/54271473379/in/dateposted...
マークザッカーバーグ氏の批判に、アップルは耳を傾けるだろうか。
僕にはそう思えない。アップルヴィジョンプロに夢を見せられた僕には。
メタのマークザッカーバーグ氏は、有名なポッドキャストに出演し、アップルはアイフォン以来革新的な製品を発売せず、売り上げも落ちていると批判したようだ。
アップル発祥のポッドキャストに現れ、アップルを批判すると言うのは軽いジョークに思えるが、真剣に訴えたんだろうと僕は思う。
なぜなら、今の彼はARグラスという武器を手にしているからだ。
おそらく、さまざまな関係機関や優秀なスタッフが彼を支え、それなりの目標を達成したんだろうが、パワーブック５４０cから使い続けてきた僕のような古いアップルファンからしてみれば、まだ物作りのアイデンティを彼からはまったく感じない。
これは他の、現在世界を制覇しているIT企業らも含む。
メタ、アマゾン、テスラ。マイクロソフト。グーグル。
社名が並ぶだけで、このテキストを読まれている方は名前と顔をすでに浮かべているはずだ。
僕は以前、スティーブ・ジョブズはアーティストではないと書いた。
彼は、現世界に散らばったイメージを紡ぎ合わせ、それを膨らます。そして未来へリンクさせる。それが得意だっただけだ。
実際に創作していたのはジョナサンアイブだ。少数ながらも僕のような意見を持っている方もいるだろう。
しかし、先述したIT関連の面々が、トランプ氏に再び権力が戻るとなった途端に会社の方針を覆す様子を見ていると、僕は一言、どうしても意見したいのだ。
彼らが作ったARグラスや車などには、肝心な観念が欠けている。思想という重い言葉や、軽めのアイデンティティと言い換えてもいい。
確かに、ティムクック氏やアップルの現在のスタッフらは、発売前の商品に関して口を滑らせることが多くなった。
僕は、以前から書いているように音楽が大好きだ。
外界を断ち、アーティストらがスタジオにこもって、怒りや憎しみ、喜びや悲しみを一心不乱になって一音に吹き込む。何かを託すと言ってもいい。
そして、完成したアルバムを発表し、どんな思いを込めて制作したのかを語る。（僕が好きなプリンスはほとんど語らなかったので、完成された作品を理解する必要があった）
アルバムが完成し、発表するまで、彼らはひとことも語らない。
僕の胸を震わせたのは、そんなアーティストらだった。
僕の中に淡く灯っているアップルの革新性は、いまでも消えていない。
それは昨年、大失敗だと批判されたアップルヴィジョンプロでさえも消すことはできない。むしろ、アイフォン以上の強烈な光を放っている。
ただの斬新な電化製品ではなく、細かな電気部品の向こうに観念や思想を感じるからだ。
残念ながら、メタのARグラスやテスラの車に、僕がその観念や思想を感じることは今後もないだろう。
長々と書いてきたが、結論は以下の記事だ。
1.5億円超をAppleのティム・クックCEOがトランプの大統領就任式に寄付
gigazine.net/news/20250104-apple-ceo-tim-cook-donates-1-m...
一読すると、ティムクック氏も他のIT会社同様、魂を売ったのかと思われるがそうではない。
ティムクック氏は個人的にトランプ氏へ献金をするが、アップル社だけは他社と同じようには献金していない。
アップルは、トランプ氏になびかなかったのだ。
アップル社の観念や思想とは、具体的に何かと訊かれたら、僕はこう答える。
アップルとは、自分自身を信じる人間が集まっているグループだ。
たぶん、天国のスティーブ・ジョブズは、僕がクソ真面目に書いたテキストを、鼻で笑っていることだろう。
トランプ氏に媚びない会社。
それがAppleさ。:)
１月１５日
嬉しい記事を読んだ後で。
Mitsushiro Nakagawa.
追記。
修正しました。
修正前 アップルのポッドキャストに現れ、
修正後 アップル発祥のポッドキャストに現れ、
Translation
Title:
“A.I. - About Apple’s Identity”
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/54271473379/in/dateposted...
Will Apple listen to Mark Zuckerberg’s criticism?
I don’t think so—especially not for someone like me who was captivated by the dream of Apple Vision Pro.
Mark Zuckerberg of Meta appeared on a popular podcast and criticized Apple, claiming they haven’t released an innovative product since the iPhone and that their sales have been declining.
While criticizing Apple on a podcast originating from Apple itself may sound like a light joke, I think he was quite serious about it. After all, he now wields the weapon of AR glasses.
Supported by various institutions and a talented team, he may have achieved some notable goals. Yet, as an old Apple fan who’s been using products since the PowerBook 540c, I can’t feel any sense of craftsmanship identity from him.
This critique extends to other leading tech companies of our time as well: Meta, Amazon, Tesla, Microsoft, and Google.
Simply listing these company names likely brings their logos and the faces of their leaders to mind for those reading this.
I once wrote that Steve Jobs wasn’t an artist.
He was skilled at weaving together scattered images from our current world, expanding them, and linking them to the future. That was his specialty.
The one who actually created was Jonathan Ive. There are probably others like me who share this minority opinion.
However, seeing how the IT leaders mentioned earlier change their company policies at the mere prospect of Trump regaining power, I can’t help but voice my opinion:
The AR glasses, cars, and other products they create lack a crucial concept. Whether you call it a profound ideology or a lighter term like identity, it’s missing.
True, Tim Cook and the current Apple team have become more prone to letting slip details about unreleased products.
As I’ve often written, I love music.
When artists isolate themselves from the world, locking themselves in studios to pour their anger, hatred, joy, and sorrow wholeheartedly into a single note, they entrust something to their work.
Once they finish an album and release it, they share what they felt while creating it. (The artist I admire, Prince, rarely explained his works, so I had to interpret his completed pieces on my own.)
Until the album is complete and released, these artists say nothing.
The ones who move me most are those kinds of artists.
The faint light of Apple’s innovation within me hasn’t been extinguished.
Not even last year’s Apple Vision Pro, criticized as a major failure, could extinguish it. On the contrary, it radiates an even stronger light than the iPhone.
This isn’t just a novel electronic device—it conveys a sense of ideology or thought beyond its intricate electronic components.
Unfortunately, I doubt I’ll ever feel that same sense of ideology or thought from Meta’s AR glasses or Tesla’s cars.
I’ve written at length, but here’s my conclusion:
“Apple CEO Tim Cook Donates Over $1.5 Million to Trump’s Inauguration”
gigazine.net/news/20250104-apple-ceo-tim-cook-donates-1-m...
At first glance, it might seem like Tim Cook, like other IT companies, has sold his soul. But that’s not the case.
While Tim Cook personally donates to Trump, Apple as a company has refrained from doing the same as other companies.
Apple didn’t bow to Trump.
If someone were to ask me what Apple’s ideology or thought is, I would answer:
Apple is a group of people who believe in themselves.
Steve Jobs is probably laughing at this overly serious piece I’ve written from somewhere up in heaven.
A company that doesn’t kowtow to Trump—that’s Apple for you. :)
January 15th
After reading a heartwarming article.
Mitsushiro Nakagawa
Addendum:
I have corrected it.
Before the correction, it appeared on Apple Podcasts,
After the correction, it appeared on podcasts originating from Apple,
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:
Photo Music and iTunes Playlist Link::
music.apple.com/jp/playlist/photo-music/pl.u-Eg8qefpy8Xz
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消えた境界線から生まれたもの ～ 去ってゆく川村記念美術館を振り返って ～
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/54020588671/in/dateposted...
What Emerged from the Vanishing Boundaries~ Reflecting on the Departing Kawamura Memorial Museum ~
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/54020588671/in/dateposted...
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Important Notices.
I have relaxed the following conditions.
I will distribute my T-shirt to the world for free.
m.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/50656401427/in/dateposted-p...
m.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/50613367691/in/dateposted-p...
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Exhibition in 2025
Theme
The Nightfly
Images
Donald Fagen … I.G.Y.
youtu.be/Ueivjr3f8xg?si=xmqGPQjyIKoTs4Q5
Live.
youtu.be/Di0_KYtmVKI?si=CLFpU2n0gXahqLPB
Mitsushiro - Nakagawa
Organizer
Design Festa
Location
Tokyo Big Sight
Date
Autumn 2025.
exhibition.mitsushiro.nakagawa@gmail.com
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Notice regarding "Lot No.402_”.
From now on I will host "Lot No.402_".
The work of Leonardo da Vinci who was sleeping.
That is the number when it was put up for auction.
No sign was written on the work.
So this work couldn't conclude that it was his work.
However # as a result of various appraisals # it was exposed to the sun.
A work that no one notices. A work that speaks quietly without a title.
I will continue to strive to provide it to many people in various ways.
October 24 2020 by Mitsushiro - Nakagawa.
Mitsushiro Nakagawa belong to Lot No. 402 _.Copyright©︎2025 Lot No.402_ All rights reserved.
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Profile.
In November 2014 # we caught the attention of the party selected to undertake the publicity for a mobile phone that changed the face of the world with just a single model # and will conclude a confidentiality agreement with them.
drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vBRMWGk29EmsoBV2o9NM1LIVi...
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Interviews and novels.
About my book.
I published a book a long time ago.
At that time # I uploaded my interview as a PDF on the internet.
Its Japanese and English.
I will publish it for free.
For details # I explained to the Amazon site.
How to write a novel.
How to take a picture.
A sense of distance to the work.
All of these have something in common.
I wrote down what I felt and left it.
I hope my text will be read by many people.
Thank you.
Mitsushiro.
1 Interview in English
2 novels. unforgettable 'English version.(This book is Dedicated to the future artist.)
3 Interview Japanese version
4 novels. unforgettable ' JPN version.
5 A streamlined trajectory. only Japanese.
drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vBRMWGk29EmsoBV2o9NM1LIVi...
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iBooks. Electronic Publishing. It is free now.
0.about the iBooks.
drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vBRMWGk29EmsoBV2o9NM1LIVi...
1.unforgettable '(ENG.ver.)(This book is Dedicated to the future artist.)
itunes.apple.com/us/book/unforgettable/id1216576828?ls=1&...
2.unforgettable '(JNP.ver.)(This book is Dedicated to the future artist.)
itunes.apple.com/us/book/unforgettable/id1216584262?ls=1&...
3. Streamlined trajectory.(For Japanese only.)
itunes.apple.com/us/book/%E6%B5%81%E7%B7%9A%E5%BD%A2%E3%8... =11
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My Novel : Unforgettable'
(This book is Dedicated to the future artist.)
Synopsis
Kei Kitami, who is aiming for university, meets Kaori Uemura, an event companion who is 6 years older than her, on SNS.
Kaori's dream of coming to Tokyo is to become friends with a famous artist.
For that purpose, the radio station's producer, Ryo Osawa, was needed.
Osawa speaks to Kaori during a live radio broadcast.
"I have a wife and children. But I want to meet you."
Rika Sanjo, who is Kei's classmate and has feelings for him, has been looking into her girlfriend Kaori's movements. . . . .
Mitsushiro Nakagawa
All Translated by Yumi Ikeda .
images.
U2 - No Line On The Horizon Live in Dublin
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oKwnkYFsiE&feature=related
Main story
There are two reasons why a person faces the sea.
One to enjoy a slice of shine in the sea like children bubbling over in the beach.
The other to brush the dust of memory like an old man who misses old days staring at the shine
quietly.
Those lead to only one meaning though they do not seem to overlap. It’s a rebirth.
I face myself to change tomorrow a vague day into something certain.
That is the meaning of a rebirth.
I had a very sweet girlfriend when I was 18.
After she left I knew the meaning of gentleness for the first time and also a true pain of loss. After
she left # how many times did I depend too much on her # doubt her # envy her and keep on telling lies
until I realized it is love?
I wonder whether a nobody like me could have given something to her who was struggling in the
daily life in those days. Giving something is arrogant conceit. It is nothing but self-satisfaction.
I had been thinking about such a thing.
However I guess what she saw in me was because I had nothing. That‘s why she tried to see
something in me. Perhaps she found a slight possibility in me # a guy filled with ambiguous unstable
tomorrow. But I wasted days depending too much on her gentleness.
Now I finally can convey how I felt in those days when we met.
1/9
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24577016535/in/dateposted...
2/9
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24209330259/in/dateposted...
3/9
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/23975215274/in/dateposted...
4/9
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24515964952/in/dateposted...
5/9
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24276473749/in/dateposted...
6/9
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24548895082/in/dateposted...
7/9
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24594603711/in/dateposted...
8/9
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24588215562/in/dateposted...
9/9
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24100804163/in/dateposted...
Fin.
images.
U2 - No Line On The Horizon
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oKwnkYFsiE&feature=related
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Title of my book : unforgettable'
Author : Mitsushiro Nakagawa
Out Now.
ISBN978-4-86264-866-2
in Amazon.
Unforgettable’ amzn.asia/d/eG1wNc5
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The schedule of the next novel.
Still would stand all time. (Unforgettable '2)
(It will not go away forever)
Please give me some more time. That is Japanese.
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My Works.
1 www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/48072442376/in/dateposted...
2 www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/48078949821/in/dateposted...
3 www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/48085863356/in/dateposted...
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Do you want to hear my voice?
:)
1
About the composition of the picture posted to Flicker. First type.
2
About the composition of the picture posted to Flicker. Second type.
3
About when I started Fotolog. Architect 's point of view.
4
Why did not you have a camera so far?
5
What is the coolest thing? The photo is as it is.
6
About the current YouTube bar. I also want to tell # I want to leave.
7
About Japanese photographers. Japanese YouTube bar is Pistols.
8
The composition of the photograph is sensibility. Meet the designers in Milan. Two questions.
9
What is a good composition? What is a bad composition?
10
What is the time to point the camera? It is slow if you are looking into the viewfinder or display.
11
Family photos. I can not take pictures with others. The inside of the subject.
12
About YouTube 's photographer. Camera technology etc. Sensibility is polished by reading books.
13
About the Japanese newspaper. A picture of a good newspaper is Reuters. If you continue to look at useless photographs # it will be useless.
14
About Japanese photographers. About the exhibition.
Summary. I wrote a novel etc. What I want to tell the most.
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I talked about how to make a work.
About work production 1/2
About work production 2/2
1 Photo exhibition up to that point. Did you want to go?
2 Well # what is an exhibition that you want to visit even if you go there?
3 Challenge to exhibit one work every month before opening a solo exhibition at the Harajuku Design Festa.
4 works are materials and silhouettes. Similar to fashion.
5 Who is your favorite artist? What is it? Make it clear.
6 Creating a collage is exactly the same as taking photos. As I wrote in the interview # it is the same as writing a novel.
7 I want to show it to someone # but I do not make a piece to show it. Aim for the work you want to decorate your own room as in the photo.
8 What is copycat? Nowadays # it is suspected to be beaten. There is something called Mimesis?
kotobank.jp/word/Mimesis-139464
9 What is Individuality? What is originality?
www.youtube.com/user/mitsushiro/
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Explanation of composition. 2
1.Composition explanation 2 ... 1/4
2.Composition explanation 2 ... 2/4
3.Composition Explanation 2 ... 3/4
4.Composition Explanation 2 ... 4/4
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My shutter feeling.
Today's photo.
It is a photo taken from Eurostar.
This video is an explanation.
I went to Milan in 2005.
At that time # I went from Milan to Venice.
We took Eurostar into the transportation.
This photo was not taken from a very fast Eurostar.
When I changed the track # I took a picture at the moment I slowed down.
Is there a Japanese beside you?
Please have my video translated.
:)
In the Eurostar to Venice . 2005. shot ... 1 / 2
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/49127115021/in/dateposted...
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Miles Davis sheet 1955-1976.
drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vBRMWGk29EmsoBV2o9NM1LIVi...
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flickr.
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/
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instagram.
www.instagram.com/mitsushiro_nakagawa/
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Pinterest.
www.pinterest.jp/MitsushiroNakagawa/
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YouPic
youpic.com/photographer/mitsushironakagawa/
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twitter.
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facebook.
www.facebook.com/mitsushiro.nakagawa
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threads.
www.threads.net/@mitsushiro_nakagawa
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Blue sky.
bsky.app/profile/mitsushironakagawa.bsky.social
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Amazon.
www.amazon.co.jp/gp/profile/amzn1.account.AHSKI3YMYPYE5UE...
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My statistics (as of December 15, 2024)
How many views have you had on Flickr and Youpic
Flickr 24,260,172 Views
Youpic 7,957,826 Views
x.com/mitsushiro/status/1868185157909582014
My statistics (as of August 1, 2024)
How many views have I had on Flickr and Youpic
Flickr 23,192,383 Views
Youpic 7,574,603 Views
My statistics. (As of February 7, 2024)
What is the number of accesses to Flickr and YouPic
Flickr 21,694,434 Views
Youpic 7,003,230 Views
What is the number of accesses to Flickr and YouPic?
(As of November 13, 2023)
Flickr 20,852,872 View
Youpic 6,671,486 View
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Japanese is the following.
drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vBRMWGk29EmsoBV2o9NM1LIVi...
Title of my book unforgettable' Mitsushiro Nakagawa Out Now. ISBN978-4-86264-866-2
Mitsushiro Nakagawa belong to Lot No. 204 _ . Copyright©︎2024 Lot No.402_ All rights reserved.
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Title.
ロッカーナンバー１１４９。そこにはまだ誰かの記憶が置かれていた。
【７枚の写真のタイトル：追憶】
( FUJIFILM GFX 50R shot )
東京ビッグサイト。有明。江東区。東京都。日本。2024年11月。 … 6 / 7
(今日の写真。それは未発表です。）
images.
Number_i … Bye 24/7
youtu.be/CpyaODl0bSY?si=P3_1QW9LFfbJj6Gz
::写真の音楽とiTunesプレイリストをリンク::
music.apple.com/jp/playlist/photo-music/pl.u-Eg8qefpy8Xz
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重要なお知らせ。
僕は以下の条件を緩和します。
僕はTシャツを無料で世界中へ配布します。
m.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/50656401427/in/dateposted-p...
m.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/50613367691/in/dateposted-p...
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２０２5年の展示
テーマ
The Nightfly
Images
Donald Fagen … I.G.Y.
youtu.be/Ueivjr3f8xg?si=xmqGPQjyIKoTs4Q5
Live.
youtu.be/Di0_KYtmVKI?si=CLFpU2n0gXahqLPB
Mitsushiro - Nakagawa
主催
デザインフェスタ
場所
東京ビッグサイト
日程
2025年 秋。
exhibition.mitsushiro.nakagawa@gmail.com
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” Lot No.402_ ” に関するお知らせ。
今後、僕は、” Lot No.402_ ”を主催します。
このロットナンバーは、眠っていたレオナルドダヴィンチの作品がオークションにかけらた際に付されたものです。
作品にはサインなどがいっさい記されていなかったため、彼の作品だと断定できませんでした。
しかし、様々な鑑定の結果、陽の光を浴びました。
誰にも気づかれない作品。肩書がなくとも静かに語りかける作品。
僕はこれから様々な形で、多くの皆様に提供できるよう努めてゆきます。
2020年10月24日 by Mitsushiro - Nakagawa.
Copyright©︎2021 Lot No.402_ All rights reserved.
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プロフィール
2014年11月、たった1機種で世界を塗り替えた携帯電話の広告を請け負った選考者の目に留まり、秘密保持同意書を結ぶ。
drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vBRMWGk29EmsoBV2o9NM1LIVi...
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インタビューと小説。
僕の本について。
僕は、昔に本を出版しました。
その際に、僕のインタビューをPDFでネット上へアップロードしていました。
その日本語と英語。
僕は、無料でを公開します。
詳細は、アマゾンのサイトへ解説しました。
小説の書き方。
写真の撮影方法。
作品への距離感。
これらはすべて共通項があります。
僕は、僕が感じたことを文章にして、残しました。
僕のテキストが多くの人に読んでもらえることを望みます。
ありがとう。
Mitsushiro.
drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vBRMWGk29EmsoBV2o9NM1LIVi...
１ インタビュー 英語版
２ 小説。unforgettable’ 英語版。
３ インタビュー 日本語版
４ 小説。unforgettable’ 日本語版。(この小説は未来のアーティストへ捧げます)
(四百字詰め原稿用紙４５６枚)
あらすじ
大学を目指している北見ケイは、SNS上で、6歳年上のイベントコンパニオン、上村香織に出会う。
上京してきた香織の夢は、有名なアーティストの友達になるためだ。
そのためにはラジオ局のプロデューサー、大沢亮の存在が必要だった。
大沢は、ラジオの生放送中、香織へ語りかける。
「僕には妻子がある。しかし、僕は君に会いたいと思っている」
ケイの同級生で、彼を想っている三條里香は、香織の動向を探っていた。。。。。
本編
人が海へ向かう理由には、二つある。
ひとつは、波打ち際ではしゃぐ子供のように、今の瞬間の海の輝きを楽しむこと。
もうひとつは、その輝きを静かに見据えて、過ぎ去った日々を懐かしむ老人のように記憶の埃を払うこと。
二つは重なり合わないようではあるけれども、たったひとつの意味しか生まない。
再生だ。
明日っていう、曖昧な日を確実なものへと変えてゆくために、自分の存在に向き合う。
それが再生の意味だ。
十八歳だった僕には大切な人がいた。
drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vBRMWGk29EmsoBV2o9NM1LIVi...
５ 流線形の軌跡。 日本語のみ。
drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vBRMWGk29EmsoBV2o9NM1LIVi...
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iBooks.電子出版。（現在は無料）
0.about the iBooks.
drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vBRMWGk29EmsoBV2o9NM1LIVi...
1.unforgettable’ ( ENG.ver.)(This book is Dedicated to the future artist.)
itunes.apple.com/us/book/unforgettable/id1216576828?ls=1&...
For Japanese only.
2.unforgettable’ ( JNP.ver.)(この小説は未来のアーティストへ捧げます)
itunes.apple.com/us/book/unforgettable/id1216584262?ls=1&...
3.流線形の軌跡。
itunes.apple.com/us/book/%E6%B5%81%E7%B7%9A%E5%BD%A2%E3%8...
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僕の小説。英語版
My Novel Unforgettable' (This book is Dedicated to the future artist.)
Mitsushiro Nakagawa
All Translated by Yumi Ikeda .
1/9
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2/9
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Fin.
images.
U2 - No Line On The Horizon Live in Dublin
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oKwnkYFsiE&feature=related
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Title of my book : unforgettable'
Author : Mitsushiro Nakagawa
Out Now.
ISBN978-4-86264-866-2
in Amazon.
Unforgettable’ amzn.asia/d/eG1wNc5
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僕の作品。
1 www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/48072442376/in/dateposted...
2 www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/48078949821/in/dateposted...
3 www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/48085863356/in/dateposted...
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あなたは僕の声を聞きたいですか？
:)
1
フリッカーへ投稿した写真の構図について。１種類目。
2
フリッカーへ投稿した写真の構図について。２種類目。
3
Fotologを始めた時について。 建築家の視点。
4
なぜ、今までカメラを手にしなかったのか？
5
何が一番かっこいいのか？ 写真はありのままに。
6
現在のユーチューバーについて。僕も伝え、残したい。
7
日本人の写真家について。日本のユーチューバーはピストルズ。
8
写真の構図は、感性。ミラノのデザイナーに会って。二つの質問。
9
良い構図とは？ 悪い構図とは？
10
カメラを向ける時とは？ ファインダーやディスプレイを覗いていては遅い。
11
家族写真。他人では撮れない。被写体の内面。
12
ユーチューブの写真家について。カメラの技術等。感性は、本を読むことで磨く。
13
日本の新聞について。良い新聞の写真はロイター。ダメな写真を見続けるとダメになる。
14
日本の写真家について。その展示について。
まとめ。僕が書いた小説など。僕が最も伝えたいこと。
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作品制作について 1/2
作品制作について 2/2
１ それまでの写真展。自分は行きたいと思ったか？
２ じゃ、自分が足を運んででも行きたい展示とは何か？
３ 原宿デザインフェスタで個展を開くまでに、毎月ひとつの作品を展示することにチャレンジ。
４ 作品とは、素材とシルエット。ファッションと似ている。
５ 自分が好きなアーティストは誰か？ どんなものなのか？ そこをはっきりさせる。
６ コラージュの作成も写真の撮り方と全く同じ。インタビューに書いたように小説の書き方とも同じ。
７ 誰かに見せたい、見せるがために作品は作らない。写真と同じように自分の部屋に飾りたい作品を目指す。
８ パクリとは何か？ 昨今、叩かれるパクリ疑惑。ミメーシスとは？
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/ミメーシス
https://kotobank.jp/word/ミメーシス-139464
９ 個性とはなにか？ オリジナリティってなに？
おまけ 眞子さまについて
という流れです。
お時間がある方は是非聴いてください。
:)
www.youtube.com/user/mitsushiro/
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構図の解説２
1.構図の解説２ ... 1/4
2.構図の解説２ ... 2/4
3.構図の解説２ ... 3/4
4.構図の解説２ ... 4/4
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僕のシャッター感覚
In the Eurostar to Venice . 2005. shot ... 1 / 2
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/49127115021/in/dateposted...
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Miles Davis sheet 1955-1976.
drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vBRMWGk29EmsoBV2o9NM1LIVi...
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flickr.
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/
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YouTube.
www.youtube.com/user/mitsushiro/
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instagram.
www.instagram.com/mitsushiro_nakagawa/
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Pinterest.
www.pinterest.jp/MitsushiroNakagawa/
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YouPic
youpic.com/photographer/mitsushironakagawa/
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fotolog
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twitter.
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facebook.
www.facebook.com/mitsushiro.nakagawa
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threads.
www.threads.net/@mitsushiro_nakagawa
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Blue sky.
bsky.app/profile/mitsushironakagawa.bsky.social
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Amazon.
www.amazon.co.jp/gp/profile/amzn1.account.AHSKI3YMYPYE5UE...
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僕の統計。（2024年12月15日現在）
フリッカー、ユーピクのアクセス数は？
Flickr 24,260,172 View
Youpic 7,957,826 View
x.com/mitsushiro/status/1868185157909582014
僕の統計。（2024年8月1日現在）
フリッカー、ユーピクのアクセス数は？
Flickr 23,192,383 View
Youpic 7,574,603 View
僕の統計。（2024年2月7日現在）
フリッカー、ユーピクのアクセス数は？
Flickr 21,694,434 View
Youpic 7,003,230 View
僕の統計。（2023年11月13日現在）
フリッカー、ユーピクのアクセス数は？
Flickr 20,852,872 View
Youpic 6,671,486 View
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Japanese is the following.
drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vBRMWGk29EmsoBV2o9NM1LIVi...
Title of my book unforgettable' Mitsushiro Nakagawa Out Now. ISBN978-4-86264-866-2
Mitsushiro Nakagawa belong to Lot no.204_ . Copyright©︎2020 Lot no.204_ All rights reserved.
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” Lot No.402_ ” に関するお知らせ。
今後、僕は、” Lot No.402_ ”を主催します。
このロットナンバーは、眠っていたレオナルドダヴィンチの作品がオークションにかけらた際に付されたものです。
作品にはサインなどがいっさい記されていなかったため、彼の作品だと断定できませんでした。
しかし、様々な鑑定の結果、陽の光を浴びました。
誰にも気づかれない作品。肩書がなくとも静かに語りかける作品。
僕はこれから様々な形で、多くの皆様に提供できるよう努めてゆきます。
2020年10月24日 by Mitsushiro - Nakagawa.
Copyright©︎2024 Lot No.402_ All rights reserved.
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The size of a 40.000 year old tooth from the Denisova cave indicates a very tall individual, and artefacts found tell about
an unbelievable modern technology - including high speed drilling. The first kings of Egypt were called Gods, but they lived with the people and helped them to develop their civilisation. Many of the granite and basalt artefacts found in Egypt can only have been done by high speed drilling. Were these divine kings in fact Denisova hominins? Did they underestimate how fragile the eco-balance of our environment is, did they trigger a worldwide catastrophe that "capsized" the Earth and wiped them out?
Remnants of a previously unknown hominin, distinct from both early modern humans and Neanderthals,
were a few years ago found in the Denisova cave of southern Siberia: Denisova hominins. The bones and also artefacts excavated at the same level were carbon dated to around 40.000 BP. The scientists say these Denisovans had "modern technology and ornaments, including a very beautiful bracelet". Our archaic cousins the Denisova Hominins
A catastrophe in form of a flood that, according to the legends wiped out the Egyptian civilization that was developed by divine kings (Gods), shall have taken place more than 30.000 years ago. The finger bone, the large tooth and the artefacts found in the Denisova cave in the north-east Altai Mountains region are also dated to be more than 30.000 years old. The small bone belonged to a very young girl. A small bracelet of polished stone was also found, and since it was found in the same layer and dated to the same age; it might have belonged to her.
We can only speculate why the young girl was in the cave. Could it be that she was seeking shelter from a coming catastrophe, might be brought there by her mother or father? Or that she was washed into the cave by the raging wave of a tsunami - even if the cave today is 600 meters above sea level?
It seems that the first rulers of Egypt had a technology that was even more advanced than we have today; we are in fact unable to replicate many of the artefacts found. And it still is an open question how they managed to construct the Great Pyramid with its incredible precision and up to 70 ton's stones.
The archaeologists say that the ancient Egyptians used simple tools like bronze chisels and stone hammers but many of the items found, like basalt jars and also the so called sarcophagus in the Great Pyramid, cannot be made without high speed drilling with drill-bits harder than basalt and granite. The artefacts found in the Denisova cave, the bracelet with pendant, the eyed needles and other ornaments, also witness of a superior technology - and believe it or not: They had used hight speed drilling!
Not us homo sapien sapien
We do not know how the Denisova hominines looked but as mentioned: A tooth found in the cave was very large, so they might have been very tall. We know that people in the area surrounding the Altai Mountains in the 6th to 3rd centuries BC had a very advanced technology; a race of white skinned, blond, blue eyed and very tall people with Caucasian features and long skulls.
The divine kings, the "Gods", of Egypt were often depicted as white skinned, blond, blue eyed and very tall people with Caucasian features and a long skull. Were the "Gods" of the ancient Egyptian king-lists in fact Denisovans? Not us homo sapien sapien but our archaic cousins the Denisova Hominins?
We do not yet know what the Denisova hominins looked like but a Denisovan tooth found in the cave is the largest archaic homo species tooth found. Were the Denisovans the giants of the legends all over the world? Where they the first kings of Egypt - the divine Pharaohs? Did they have an advanced technology that later got lost, might be together with the Denisovans themselves, in a world wide catastrophe?
Global warming
Professor Gregory Ryskin at Northwestern University in Illinois, USA, has found that the long-term changes in the Earth's main magnetic field are possibly induced by our oceans' circulation. We know that global warming already has raised the temperatures of the oceans of the world and some scientists have proposed that this could disrupt thermohaline circulation (THC), which is a massive, worldwide system of ocean currents. We have already seen a change in some ocean currents, so a change in our Earth's magnetic field might already be happening! Might be this is why our magnetic poles are moving much more rapid than before! Scary stuff - because this could also mean a change in the Earth's gravity - and changes in gravitational forces will certainly affect the tectonic plates and with the continents on them. Might be this is the reason why we also experience more earthquakes than before?! Might be we should take Hapgood's conclusions and Heyerdahl's warning serious?
Did the Egyptian "capsize" the world - did they have technologies that could contribute to a sudden and rapid polar change? Might be because of and a change in the Earths gravity and/or magnetic field? Well, some say that the ancient Egyptians used the pyramids to create a unique form of energy. That they by paying special attention to celestial events, they could have used natural forces like static electricity, the Earth's magnetic field, and lightning.
Electric phenomenon
Sir William Seimens, a famous German born English inventor, travelled to Egypt and visited the Great Pyramid. While they were standing on the top, the guide remarked that when he raised his hand with his fingers spread, it caused an intense ringing noise in his ears. Sir William ventured a few tests, one by raising his arm with his index finger pointing, which he claimed caused a prickling sensation. He then drank some wine from a metallic cup which gave him a distinct shock. He was convinced he was witnessing some sort of electric phenomenon and instantly put this to the test by assembling a makeshift Leyden Jar, an apparatus for the storage of static electricity, by wrapping moistened newspaper around the wine bottle. The static charge at the peak of the pyramid was so high that sparks began to stream from the bottle. The guide was so shocked that he accused Sir William of witchcraft and tried to grab the bottle, but an electrical jolt knocked him unconscious.
A power plant?
Master craftsman and engineer Christopher Dunn argues that based on his measurements of Egyptian monuments, ancient stonecutting achieved a high-precision accuracy surpassing modern accuracy standards in building. He asked himself what was the power source that fuelled such a civilization and after twenty years of research, Dunn reveals that the Great Pyramid of Giza was actually a electrical power plant. Based on the technology of harmonic resonance, he claims that the pyramid was a large acoustical device! By its size and dimensions, this crystal edifice created a harmonic resonance with the Earth and converted Earth's vibrational energies to microwave radiation. He shows in his books and articles how the pyramid's numerous chambers and passageways were positioned with the deliberate precision to maximize its acoustical qualities.
Inventor Michael F. Praamsma partly agrees but he says that the Great Pyramid at Giza was "a sophisticated acoustical sound chamber that was used as a technique to generate natural sounds to create an elevated frequency environment confined to a single resonant physical cavity". He claims that the Great Pyramid was systematically and competently sealed, and that this was "a sign it was decommissioned and intended to be of use again at a future day, when the awakened humanity would restore it competently to its rightful function, unfortunately history went another way."
A California researcher, Peter Grandics, has shown how an antenna, modeled on the Great Pyramid of Giza, can transfer the power of atmospheric electrostatic discharge impulses into a resonant circuit that converts the random impulses into an alternating current as a potential source of renewable electric power. Thousands of terawatts of power are generated in the troposphere by thunderstorms and a pyramidal structure, with its optimal geometry and construction, can act as a suitable charge sink, capturing this electric.
A biological engineer named John Burke argues that the movement of underground water in limestone aquifers below monuments produces an electric current via friction and the rich magnetic dolomite content of the stone. Burke measured positive ground current at Silbury hill in England, an ancient pyramidal mound composed of chalk and clay that lies on top of such limestone bedrock riddled with zig zagging aquifers filled with rainwater. Such tunnels and water caverns lie beneath the Giza plateau as well. Abd'El Hakim Awyan, a native Egyptian archaeologist, attests to swimming in such tunnels during his youth on the Giza plateau.
Electric torches?
Another alternative theory is that the pyramids were wireless power plants used to generate electricity and for wireless communication. On the internet you will find a video where it is speculated that the Great Pyramid may have been powered by the Ark of the Covenant. The person behind the video is saying that murals inside tombs and temples show that the ancient Egyptians were using handheld electric torches powered by cable free power sources. It is believed that the so called sarcophagus inside the Great Pyramid has the exact dimensions, according to the Christian bible, to house the Ark of Covenant: That the pyramid with a capstone of gold and the covenant in place was a kind of super capacitor the could produce and store electric energy. It is also theorized that Moses stole the Ark of Covenant from the pyramid and took it with him out of Egypt. This should be the main reason for the downfall of the Egyptian pharaohs; without the electrics power their own power dwindled. This should have happened at the time of the pharaoh Ramses II.
Three engineers; Erica Miller, Sean Sloan and Gregg Wilson all agree on one theory: That the Great Pyramid acted as a huge nuclear breeder reactor, which produced Plutonium fuel by mediating uranium isotopes in water. Supposedly, the King's Chamber was flooded with a water pump, and the sarcophagus was packed with uranium ore.
Frenchman Antoine Bovis stumbled upon dead cats and mice that had been disposed of in the trash cans inside the Great Pyramid, and they were perfectly mummified - apparently automatically, without putrefying or giving off a stench. When Bovis returned to France he built a scale model of Khufu's monument, deposited a dead cat inside - and the Giza phenomenon repeated itself, the cat mummified without rotting. Karl Drbal of Czechoslovakia researched this further and said that this was due to the pyramid's special cavity that resonated with cosmic microwaves concentrated in the earth's magnetic field. He also hypothesized that the same concept would work for rusted shavers, and claimed the sharpness of the tools returned after lacing them in a scale model of the pyramid. Stanford Research Institute, however, carrying out experiments in the Great Pyramid, and found that biological samples deteriorated at normal rates within the structure.
Energy grid
Some researchers say that it not by chance that the Great Pyramid was built where it was. They propose that the Earth has a planetary energetic grid that operates through geometric patterns called Sacred Geometry. Grids meet at various intersecting points forming a grid or matrix. These grid points shall be found at some of the strongest power places on the planet. A planetary grid map outlined by the Russian team of Goncharov, Morozov and Makarov has an overall organization anchored to the north and south axial poles and the Great Pyramid at Giza.
It is said that the ancient people, including the Egyptians, knew that wherever the earth's energy gathered into a vortex was a sacred place. Very simular is the theory that the Earth has as net of electromagnetic lines, and that the intersecting points of the network, the knots, are influenced by underground veins of water as well as magnetic forces emanating naturally from the Earth. The ancient Egyptians are said to have been able to move and/or anchor the energy lines by pushing metal rods into the ground before they built a temple or pyramid - they shall have called it "piercing the snake".
Also what is called lay lines seems to be connected to an ancient grid of a form. According to Wikipedia; "Ley lines are hypothetical alignments of a number of places of geographical interest, such as ancient monuments and megaliths." Archaeologists have documented that the alignments are existing but it is not proved that the ley lines and their intersection points resonate a special psychic or magical energy or that they have electrical or magnetic forces as some writers claim.
Pyramid fortex using a Tesla coil
In addition to all this it is also said that we have high energy spots on the Earth called vortices - and they shall be linked ley lines. A Vortex (plural: vortices) is usually a spinning, often turbulent, flow of fluid but some also include a kind of spinning Earth energy due to its electromagnetic field. Such vortices can be volcanoes, high mountains, hot springs, mineral deposits, deep gorges, rock outcroppings and even in deserts like the Sinai. Ancient sites can also be vortices, like the pyramids of Egypt. Dr. Dee J. Nelson has taken a so called Kirlian photograph of energy spiralling out of the top of a pyramid using a Tesla Coil.
Nikola Tesla - Earthquake Machine
The Tesla Coil was invented by Serbian-American engineer Nikola Tesla (1856 - 1943), one of history's greatest scientists. His coil is an electrical resonant transformer circuit, used to produce high-voltage, low-current, and high frequency alternating-current electricity. Yes, he is best known for inventing the alternating electrical current (AC) used all over the world today, but his patents and theoretical work helped form the basis for radio comunication and many other inventions.
Nikola Tesla was an electrical genius, but he also was responsible for a number of mechanical devices. One of these was his "Earthquake Machine" also known as the Tesla Oscillator. The machine which Tesla tested was no larger than an alarm clock but it is said that when he started to twiddle the machine's frequency-controller in his lab: blocks around chaos reigned as objects fell off shelves, furniture moved across floors, windows shattered, and pipes broke. When the police arrived they found the inventor smashing the resonator to bits with a hammer: "Gentlemen, I am sorry. You are just a trifle too late to witness my experiment. I found it necessary to stop it suddenly and unexpectedly in an unusual way, he said calmly to the astonished officers.
Tesla was convinced that by finding the correct frequency, any structure can be destroyed (an obvious example is the wine glass shattered by an opera singer). He later told a friend that he could split the Earth with one of these devices: "I could set the earth's crust into such a state of vibration that it would rise and fall hundreds of feet, throwing rivers out of their beds, wrecking buildings, and practically destroying civilization".
Tesla and coils
Tesla claimed that the laws of electromagnetics were connected to gravity, and one of his patents was on a flying machine without wings or propellers but based on what he called electrogravitics. Tesla also was working on a generator that basically worked by harnessing the electricity from the air and the ground. He used the natural conductivity of limestone aquifers to generate electrical power. The power ran up the ground into the Tesla coil tower above, which in theory should channel wirelessly transmitted power over great distances. Since Telsa wanted the distribution of the energy to be free, the inventor's sponsor pulled out from funding the scientist's machine before it was completed. Tesla died a poor and disillusioned man.
His research station for transmitting power at Colorado Springs might have a link to the Great Pyramid - a notable harmonic association between the latitude positions of both sites. Coral Castle - 9-ton gate that moves with just a touch of the finger.
Edward Leedskalnin - Coral Castle
Another person that was interested in gravity and electromagnetism was Edward Leedskalnin (1887-1951) - an eccentric Latvian emigrant to the United States. He built the extraordinary monument known as Coral Castle in Florida. Leedskalnin single-handedly and secretly carved and displayed over 1,100 tons of coral rock, the heaviest stone weighing 35 tons. It is a mystery how the tiny man could move all the heavy stones. He claimed to have discovered the secrets of the pyramids, and had found out how the Egyptians and the ancient builders in Peru, Yucatan, and Asia, with only primitive tools, raised and set in place blocks of stone weighing many tons! But he did not want to show
"I have discovered the secrets of the pyramids, and have found out how the Egyptians and the ancient builders in Peru, Yucatan, and Asia, with only primitive tools, raised and set in place blocks of stone weighing many tons!"
- Edward Leedskalninanybody how it was done and worked mostly at night-time. A group of young witnesses claimed to see coral blocks floating through the air "like hydrogen balloons" and another time one of Ed's neighbours found him singing to the stones with his hands placed on their surface as if he were somehow making them lighter.
Ed Leedskalnin disputed contemporary science and believed that "all matter consists of magnets which can produce measurable phenomena, and electricity." Ed would say he had "re-discovered the laws of weight, measurement, and leverage," and that these concepts "involved the relationship of the Earth to celestial alignments."
Researchers have speculated that Ed Leedskalnin learned the secret of levitation and one theory in particular caught the imagination of many. The planetary grid hypothesis postulates that the earth is covered by an invisible web of energy which is concentrated at points of telluric power, the convergence of which create unusual phenomena. Leedskalnin moved the complex from Florida City to Homestead and some suggest this was because Ed realized he had made a mathematical error in his original positioning and moved to an area with greater telluric force.
The famed American psychic Edgar Cayce (1877-1945) said during his readings that the Great Pyramid "was erected by the application of those universal laws and forces of nature which cause iron to float. By the same laws, gravity may be overcome, or neutralized, and stone made to float in air. The Pyramid was thus built by levitation, abetted by song and chanting". He also said that the Great Pyramid was built was built as a hall of initiation around 10,500BC by those who originally came from the civilization of Atlantis.
Levitation by sound
Metal rods that caused the stone to levitate
The current estimates of mainstream science contends that it took a workforce of 4,000 to 5,000 men 20 years to build the Great Pyramid using ropes, pulleys, ramps, ingenuity and brute force. But the 10th century Arab historian, Abul Hasan Ali Al-Masudi had written a 30-volume history of the world and he wrote about how the great stone blocks of the pyramid were transported. First, he said, a "magic papyrus" was placed under the stone to be moved. Then the stone was struck with a metal rod that caused the stone to levitate and move along a path paved with stones and fenced on either side by metal poles. The stone would travel along the path, wrote Al-Masudi, for a distance of about 50 meters and then settle to the ground. The process would then be repeated until the builders had the stone where they wanted it.
An ancient legend tells that The Great Pyramid was built from year 10,490 to 10,390 B.C. That the god Ra made studies of the terrain and took great care in figuring the geometrical location in relation to the Sphinx and the four cardinal points of the compass. The Pyramid was then built by levitation, abetted by song and chanting.
Well, we do not have any proof that the ancient Egyptians could make the huge stones fly through the air but levitation is no longer only a party-trick by magicians with quick fingers. We have high speed trains that levitate by the help of magnetic power and in an incredible move for modern medicine; scientists are using sound waves to help levitate droplets of drugs to make them with less side effects.
A kind of Swiss knife
The Great Pyramid is very different to other pyramids, in Giza or else. Most alternative researches conclude that it was some kind of machine; most possibly a power station. We have seen that it would be impossible to use the Great Pyramid as a tomb for a pharaoh and that dating of seashell tells that it much older than the other pyramids. The nearby sphinx has been re-dated to be at least 5000 years old because of the erosion from water, but it might be much older. The same will go for the Great Pyramid. Some speculate that the Great Pyramid was a kind of Swiss knife - a gigantic multipurpose tool. The world "pyramid" means "fire in the middle" - so if it was a kind of power station with the power source situated in what is called Khufu's sarcophagus the some researches in one way might be correct when that speculate that the pyramid also was built as a gigantic ram water pump - inside the base of the pyramid. Yes, it could have been a power-station with a water cooling system! We have seen that some say that the power source was the ark of covenant from the Christian bible and some say
The King's Chamber with the stones above
King's Chamber and large stones
that Moses was the person who stole it from the pyramid. That the pharaohs' rapid decline took place because with no more energy, in form of electric power, then their advanced civilisation could no longer exist!
A gigantic Tesla coil?
Or might be the Great Pyramid was a kind of a gigantic Tesla coil? That the huge granite stones, highly polished on the underside and placed above the so called Kings chamber, made it possible to harness electricity from the ionosphere - just like Nikola Tesla wanted to do it?
About 20 minutes drive from the Great Pyramid is the site of Abu Ghurab, the "Place of Osiris". The ruined stepped pyramid once had an alabaster platform on the top and on the platform it had been standing an obelisk ("sun stick"); most likely, the total height was between fifty and seventy meters. It had looked like a pyramid with a flat top, just like Great Pyramid! Is it possible that the Great Pyramid once had an obelisk standing on it's flat top - and not a capstone? The legends says that spirit of the sun god entered the obelisks at certain periods…
Could it have been like this - an obelisk on top of the Great Pyramid?
Can it have been like this?
Tesla viewed the Earth as a negative electric pole and the sun as a positive pole of an electrode; so an obelisk standing on top of a pyramid would to him be a solar-electric diode! If the under ground part of the pyramid was a pump that brought water up to the Kings Chamber then we would have a capacitor with a very good earth ground. Yes, the Great Pyramid could have been an extremely powerful kind of solar-panel!
Might be Tesla got the idea of harnessing the ionosphere from the Egyptians? Might be they had made the strongest power station ever but that something went terribly wrong; a technical fault or a construction-fault? Or might be extra strong solar activity? Stephen A. Reynods of New Zealand has done research showing that changes in the ionosphere caused by strong solar activity can cause changes in the Earth's internal magnetic field and through telluric current induced in the Earth's crust trigger earthquakes. So might be it happened that instead of harnessing high voltage that could be stored and used, the pyramid send the current into the ground and
The God Ptah with a Djed pillar
Ptah and pillar
triggered a gigantic earthquake that literally shook the whole Earth and caused geological catastrophes worldwide? Might be the changes to the internal magnetic field was so fast and so strong that the outer crust slipped - just like professor Charles H. Hapgood once suggested (but not due to imbalance of the polar ice)?
Interesting enough; one of the oldest and most important symbols to the ancient Egyptian was the "Djed Pillar". Take a look at the image to the right of the God Ptah holding a Djed pillar. The pillar looks very simular til the set-up of the stones above the Kings Chamber - and also a homemade Tesla coil! You might also have noticed a Djed pillar in picture of what could illustrate an electric lamp in an ancient Egyptian temple, higher up in the article!
Very advanced technology
In the Palermo, Turin and Manetho king lists, there are names of eight god kings that ruled Egypt in the beginning; Ptah, Ra, Geb, Osiris, Set, Horus, Thoth and the female god Ma'at. Even if they sometimes were represented in a variety of forms on murals, often with human body and animals/birds heads, these gods seemed to be something else than imaginary gods living in a theological heaven. They lived on earth, were married with children, and had duties they performed. They also helped the ordinary people to develop. We have seen that Ptah made the Nile-delta liveable after the great flood and Thoth is credited as the author of all works of science, religion, philosophy as well as magic and he is said to have been married with the female god and ruler Ma'at.
Pharaoh Can it be that the first kings of Egypt were called Gods because they came from a far away place and looked a bit different to the other humans in ancient Egypt? The word "God" comes from "shining/bright" and murals picturing the first pharaohs/gods show that they had so white skin that the must have looked very bright compared to other people! Were they also called devine because they had much better mental capabilities and a very advanced technology?
www.sydhav.no/giants/denisova_giants_egypt.htm
Dendera light
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The dendera light
The dendera light is a motif in the Hathor temple at Dendera in Egypt. A fringe theory interpretation of the reliefs is that they depict some form of ancient Egyptian lighting technology, similar to an arc lamp or cathode ray tube.
The temple contains several reliefs depicting Harsomtus, in the form of a snake, emerging from a lotus flower which is usually attached to the bow of a barge. The so-called dendera light is a variation of this motif, showing Harsomtus in an oval container called hn, which might represent the womb of Nut.[1][2][3] Sometimes a djed pillar supports the snake or the container. A closely related motif is "god resting on the lotus flower".
Contents
1Depictions and text
2Similar motifs
3Fringe interpretation
4See also
5References
6External links
Depictions and text
Each of the three objects consists of two reliefs. One half (a) of each pair is in south crypt 1-C (crypte 4), the other half (b) in room G (chambre V) of the temple.[3]
Object
(location)
TextRelief
Object 1(a)
(Crypt 1-C, south wall)
Speaking the words of Harsomtus, the great God, who dwells in Dendera, who is in the arms of the first in the night-barge, sublime snake, whos Chentj-statue carries Heh, whos crew carries in holiness his perfection, whos Ba caused Hathor to appear in the sky, whos figure is revered by his followers, who is unique, encircled by his forehead-snake, with countless names on the top of Chui-en-hesen, the symbol of power of Re in the land of Atum (Dendera), the father of the Gods, who created everything.
Gold his metal, height: four handbreadths
(left)
Object 2(a)
(Crypt 1-C,
south wall)
Speaking the words of harsomtus, the great God, who dwells in Dendera, the living Ba in the lotus flower of the day-barge, whos perfection is carried by the two arms of the djed-pillar as his Seschemu-image, while the Kas on their knees bend their arms.
Gold and all precious stones, height: three handbreadths
(right)
Object 3(a)
(Crypt 1-C,
north wall)
Speaking the words of harsomtus, the great God, who dwells in Dendera, who emerges out of the lotus flower as a living Ba, whos completeness is elevated by the Kematju-images of his Ka, whos Seschemu-image is revered by the crew of the day-barge, whos body is carried by the djed-pillar, underneath his Seschemu-image is the Primal and whos majesty is carried by the companions of his Ka.
Gold, height: one cubit
Denderah. Grand temple. Crypte no. 4 (NYPL b16461786-1548062) (lower).jpg
Object 1(b)
(Room G,
south wall)
Harsomtus in the hn-container of the night-barge that contains four figures. The figure of heh is in front of him, whereas this flower is behind him, the water beneath him.
Gold his metal, height: four handbreadths.
Denderah. Grand temple. Chambre V (NYPL b16461786-1547977) (lower).jpg
Object 2(b)
(Room G,
north wall)
Harsomtus on his barge
Gold and all precious stones, height: three handbreadths
(left)
Object 3(b)
(Room G,
north wall)
Harsomtus of Upper- and Lower Egypt, the Sata-snake, that emerges from the flower, which contains the hn-container, who is flanked by four figures with human faces, under his head the figure of Heh on the Serech on the bow of his barge. The Juf-monkey with the face of a toad, armed with knives, is in front of him, as are the two figures that carry the front part of this flower.
(right)
Similar motifs
Denderah. Grand temple. Chambre V (NYPL b16461786-1547977) (upper).jpg
Denderah. Grand temple. Crypte no. 4 (NYPL b16461786-1548061) (Harsomtus).jpg
Denderah. Grand temple. Chambre V (NYPL b16461786-1547978) (upper).jpg
Denderah. Grand temple. Crypte no. 1 (NYPL b16461786-1548026) (harsomtus).jpg
Denderah. Grand temple. Chambres de la terrasse. Osiris du sud. Chambre no. 3 (NYPL b16461786-1548166) (cropped).tiff
NaqaLionTempleApedemakSnake.jpg
Fringe interpretation
In contrast to the mainstream interpretation, a fringe theory proposes that the reliefs depict Ancient Egyptian technology, based on comparison to similar modern devices (such as a Cathode-ray tube, Geissler tubes, Crookes tubes, and arc lamps). J. N. Lockyer's passing reference to a colleague's humorous suggestion that electric lamps would explain the absence of lampblack deposits in the tombs has sometimes been forwarded as an argument supporting this particular interpretation (another argument being made is the use of a system of reflective mirrors).[4] Proponents of this interpretation have also used a text referring to "high poles covered with copper plates" to argue this,[5] but Bolko Stern has written in detail explaining why the copper-covered tops of poles (which were lower than the associated pylons) do not relate to electricity or lightning, pointing out that no evidence of anything used to manipulate electricity had been found in Egypt and that this was a magical and not a technical installation.[6]
Archaeologist and debunker Kenneth Feder argued that if ancient Egyptians really had such advanced technology, some light bulb remains (glass shards, metal sockets, filaments...) should have been discovered during archaeological excavations. By applying Occam's razor, he instead highlighted the feasibility of the aforementioned reflective mirrors system, and also that the notion of adding salt to torches to minimize lampblack was well known by ancient Egyptians.[7]
See also
Egyptian mythology
References
"Dendera Temple Crypt Archived 2010-04-25 at the Wayback Machine". iafrica.com.
Wolfgang Waitkus, Die Texte in den unteren Krypten des Hathortempels von Dendera: ihre Aussagen zur Funktion und Bedeutung dieser Räume, Mainz 1997 ISBN 3-8053-2322-0 (tr., The texts in the lower crypts of the Hathor temples of Dendera: their statements for the function and meaning of these areas)
Waitkus, Wolfgang (2002). "Die Geburt des Harsomtus aus der Blüte Zur Bedeutung und Funktion einiger Kultgegenstände des Tempels von Dendera". Studien zur Altägyptischen Kultur. 30: 373–394. JSTOR 25152877.
Press, The MIT (15 May 1973). The Dawn of Astronomy | The MIT Press. mitpress.mit.edu. MIT Press. ISBN 9780262120142. Retrieved 2020-10-06.
Bruno Kolbe, Francis ed Legge, Joseph Skellon, tr., "An Introduction to Electricity". Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner, 1908. 429 pages. Page 391. (cf., "[...] high poles covered with copper plates and with gilded tops were erected 'to break the stones coming from on high'. J. Dümichen, Baugeschichte des Dendera-Tempels, Strassburg, 1877")
Stern, Bolko (1998) [1896]. Ägyptische Kulturgeschichte. Reprint-Verlag-Leipzig. pp. 106–108. ISBN 978-3826219085.
Feder, Kenneth H. (2014). Frauds, Myths, and Mysteries: Science and Pseudoscience in Archaeology. New York: McGraw-Hill. ISBN 978-0-07-803507-4., pp.225–7
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dendera light.
The Dendera Reliefs, Catchpenny Mysteries.
Frank Dörnenburg, Electric lights in Egypt?. 2004.
Mariette, Auguste (1870) - Dendérah: description générale du grand temple de cette ville (II: 48, 49; III: 44, 45)
Coordinates: 26.141611°N 32.670139°E
Categories: EgyptologyOut-of-place artifactsPseudoarchaeology
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en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dendera_light
The ancient Egyptian Dendera Light "protective magical energy in liquid form" is the evaporative cooling fog. The fact that the Dendera Light is made of liquid water that transforms itself in a magical way, is exactly what are describing ancient Egyptians themselves : [About the snake inside the Dendera Light Bulb] "The field surrounding Ra’s snake form is referred to in ancient Egyptian literature as protective magical energy in liquid form that all gods and pharaohs possess (Faulkner 1970*)." ahotcupofjoe.net/2016/11/dendera-light-bulb-and-bagdad-ba...
*I'm not sure, but the excerpt might be from "The ancient Egyptian book of the dead / translated by Raymond O. Faulkne ; edited by Carol Andrews, 1972."
www.milleetunetasses.com/blog/the-great-pyramid-of-khufu-...
Evaporative cooling for the sodium carbonate manufacturing
My study is based on 2 key elements : the first one is the cold production inside the horizontal passage of the Great Pyramid ; and the second one is the production of sodium carbonate (pure natron), as suggested by the Red Pyramid.
The ammonia still present inside the Red Pyramid, indicates that they were using a sodium carbonate process identical or very close to the ammonia-soda process known as the Solvay process, developed into its modern form in the 1860s in Europe.
In the Solvay process, the ammonia only has a minor role ; but inside the Red Pyramid, my guess is that they didn't control the temperature of the different chemical reactions inside the Solvay towers. They couldn't cool down the towers.
That is the reason why they engineered the visible part of the Great Pyramid : to produce cold inside the horizontal passage, store it inside the Queen's chamber, and transfer it to the sodium carbonate production towers, passing through the Queen's chamber shafts.
Here we are with some new figs(?? not sure if Epona is classified as a fig but I'll go with it) and coming from my favorite videogame I really love how they came out!
Since I've made Link in his green hero's clothing, I decided to change things up and make him in his simple Ordon clothing. So probably about two or three weeks ago I made the torso and tried to start the hair for this fig to no avail, so I put it down for a bit and worked on other stuff. But the other day I made the hair and really loved the turnout, so of started working on the fig again, and with the help of the Zelda art book my sister got me I was able to finish it quite easily.
Now we move onto Epona who was quite simple to make. I had this brown horse lying around that I always planned on making into Epona, so I finally did! Quite simple just a quick paint job and made her some paper straps and a paper saddle.
I used Procreate to sculpt everything, and used Anita, Apple Barrel, and Citadel paints to paint these up.
Anyways, hope you guys like these figs as I'm really happy with how they came out! Comments and faves appreciated! Next fig should be either be Mario or a Nightingale, so stay tuned!
,
Welcome to Ask me something Here
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NO Self promotion by Image / HTML or WEB Link
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Doing such act might cause you A Block from Me
Only Appreciation. Critics . comments Faves, Notes , Blog it And Own Comments are welcome and NO Round Up Comments plz !!
Take Some time with me to share your feelings here,
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b>PREFACE
"SHADHINOTA is My Cause for the 40th Celebration of BANGLADESH Independence. The land, the mighty rivers and the natural beauty makes Bangladesh a land of unparalleled splendor and magnificence. Bangladesh was liberated after a prolonged war of Independence the declaration of which was given on 26th MARCH 1971. One of the worst genocides Genocide in history took place at the behest of an autocratic regime in the name of Political stability spearheaded by the then Pakistan President Yah ya Khan. After 9 months of Liberation water and the sacrifice of 3 million lives Victory came. In addition to the loss of lives countless others were rendered homeless, the infrastructure including roads and bridges and factories lay in ruins. The people of Bangladesh have shown time and again how resilient they are. After each and every disaster, natural or man-made the people have again stood up and started all over again from scratch.
My Effort here is to pay tribute to the valiant sons of the soil and the ‘die hard’ attitude of a people who can still smile in the face of adversity however great it may be. I plan to make a collage of images that represent the lives of the people of Bangladesh. I encourage you to upload a photo each day till I have a total of 40 images for the Cause SHADHINOTA in the group Frame BANGLADESH"
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If You have some time in Hand Plz Listen a patriotic Modern Bangla Song as as our Cause Song ,Hridoy Amar Bangladesh
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The Edit of this Photo Demands Your View In BLACK with Large size for better out put, Plz Press L for Black
Description :
The photo was Taken from village RajSurath . Undder Hobigonj, sylhet, BANGLADESH On 25th Dec 2010. None the flower I can name from this set , these are wild flowers, and mostly I discovered the from jangle nearby Home land of Dawan Bari at Village RajSurath during my visit to their Home land,
Are they Look Free and enjoy freedom growing at Dawan Bari ?
Yes !! They are .
B coz, Here no one disturbed the undergrowth and the are the nature of free BANGLADESH enjoying Freedom to grow and bloom wild wide here and there,
Thanks In Advance for not Inviting me to any Group and Attaching Graphics to this picture as a part of your comments, I appreciate you to view my photo , click Faves and write your comments instead you copy pest your comment to me.
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Providence and Worcester Railroad's Valley Falls based local PR-3 heads up the Moshassuck Running Track with a single load of rebar for Nucor/Harris Rebar seen here in this going away shot looking north just over the Mineral Spring Avenue crossing at MP 0.4. To facilitate the move the gondola is sandwiched between their two units, and they dropped the rest of their big train back on the mainline up by old Lawn Tower. After running north to the end of the line at Higginson Ave. in Lincoln they'll spot the car then MU their two units and return light back thru here off the 1.2 mile long branch.
Looking like the proud independent regional I grew up with, PR-3's two units still wear the classic red and brown scheme some eight years after Genesee and Wyoming orange took over. GP38-2s 2006 and 2008 are original to the road having been built new for the then only 7 year independent company by EMD in Feb. and Dec. 1980 respectively), and have spent their entire careers working the rails in and out of the Ocean State.
Colloquially known to railroaders as 'The Mud' this branch had been out of service for a couple years, but in a pleasant turnabout it recently returned to life when the railroad cleared all the enchroaching brush and put the signals back in service. In fact I believe this might be the first car since it returned to service.
Looking at this line as an outsider you wouldn't think much of it as it seems to be no more than any other old urban spur, but digging a bit deeper this line is so much more. This was once the mainline of one of the nation's shortest of shortlines and the tiniest of three such roads that maintained their independence through the late 19th and nearly all of the 20th centuries when the mighty New Haven was buying, leasing, merging, or crushing every other independent railroad in southern New England.
With credit to Edward Ozog's wonderful Rhode Island Railroads web site and Ronald Dale Karr's invaluable reference book "The Rail Lines of Southern New England" here is a bit of history.
Chartered in 1874 the two mile long Moshassuck Valley Railroad Company commenced operations in 1877 and ran from a main line interchange in Woodlawn, Pawtucket to Saylesville in the town Lincoln. It was built to serve the textile finishing mills of the Sayles brothers, but it was also a common carrier with a profitable freight business and for many years frequent passenger service. In fact until 1921 it ran up to 10 passenger trains a day with four stops on the 2 mile route.
The Sayles mills were the reason for building the MVRR and its major customer for most of its existence. Textiles to and from the Sayles Bleacheries, Lorraine Manufacturing Co. and Glenlyon Dye Works were a major source of traffic but there was also large amounts of coal for the mills and a variety of related products.
The textile industry in Rhode Island declined in the 1920's and 30's due to lower costs in the south and in 1960 Sayles operations ended. After 90 years being run by the Sayles family, the little road was sold to Standard Transportation in December 1967 and traffic remained relatively good as various light industries replaced the textile mills.
After 105 years of independent operations it was finally sold to its connecting carrier which by 1982 was the reborn Providence and Worcester. Nine years later the P&W abandoned the northern 3/4 of a mile of track north of the Higginson Avenue crossing where the MVRR's small yard and shop were located. Those shops still exist in fact and for decades the modern day P&W used the remodeled MVRR enginehouse to maintain MofW vehicles though when I drove by recently it appears to have been sold or leased for non railroad use.
To learn more and see some fabulous images of the MVRR in its earliest days and right up to the end in the late 70s click this link:
sites.google.com/site/moshassuckvalleyrailroad/Home
Pawtucket, Rhode Island
Wednesday November 20, 2024
There is much to be said about being in a huge old growth forest on a great trail, hearing a chattering creek and being with such good company. On Sunday, it was all put to the test. We did a 9.0 mile round trip stroll in the forest and saw 17 deer on the day (sadly, no black bear). Incredibly, we did not see another person all day. Thanks for a wonderful day hike Kelsie!
So much fun, with many more to do :)
Here is a link to Kelsie's fine photography of our trip; www.flickr.com/photos/mtngrl/7245881326/in/photostream
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swat_District
Swat (pronounced [ˈsʋaːt̪], Pashto: سوات) is a valley and an administrative district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, located close to the Afghan-Pakistan border. It is the upper valley of the Swat River, which rises in the Hindu Kush range. The capital of Swat is Saidu Sharif, but the main town in the Swat valley is Mingora.[1] It was a princely state (see Swat (princely state)) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa until it was dissolved in 1969. The valley is almost entirely populated by ethnic Gujjar and Pashtuns (Afghans). The language spoken in the valley is Pashto/Pakhto and Gojri. With high mountains, green meadows, and clear lakes, it is a place of great natural beauty and is popular with tourists as "the Switzerland of the region".
History
Swat has been inhabited for over two thousand years. The first inhabitants were settled in well-planned towns. In 327 BC, Alexander the Great fought his way to odegram and Barikot and stormed their battlements. In Greek accounts these towns have been identified as Ora and Bazira. Around the 2nd century BC, the area was occupied by Buddhists, who were attracted by the peace and serenity of the land. There are many remains that testify to their skills as sculptors and architects. In the beginning of the 8th century AD, Gabari Royal Tajik tribe advanced through Laghman, ningarhar, Dir and invaded Swat, defeating the Buddhists and the Hindus. This war was headed by Sultan Pakhal Gabari and later on by Sultan Behram Gabari Rulers of Kuner Pich and cousin of Rulers of Balkh and Kashmir. Later some Dilazak encrouched tha area and settled among Gabaris, who in turn were ousted by the Yusufzais which was backed by Mughal Badshah Zahiruddin Muhammad Baber, considered the super power in 1519 and 1520. The historical paradox was that the Yusufzais were ousted from Kabul by Mirza Ullegh beg, the uncle of Baber, and killed 600 malak of Yusufzai; the Gabaris helped Yousofzais refugees with a warm welcome and settled them in Bajour Dir and Swat regions. The Yousofzais forgot the generosity of Gabaris and encrouched upon the Gabari state with the plotted help of Zahiruddin Muhammad babar. They Demolished the Gabar-Kot (fortress) in bajour in 1519 and further advanced to the swat and compelled the last Gabari King Sultan Awais Gabari to flee to Upper Dir where he established his rule in,Chitral wakhan,Badakhshan and other upper Oxus. The originator of the present family of Swat was the Muslim saint Abdul Ghafoor, the Akhund of Swat, a Safi Momand of Hazara district, from where he went to Buner territory. He was a pious man and the people respected him so greatly that they called him Akhund Sahib.[2]
During the mid-19th century, Muslim tribes were fighting against each other for the possession of Swat Valley. On the intervention of the honourable Akhund Sahib, the killing was stopped, and such was his influence that the chiefs of all tribes unanimously made him the ruler of the valley. Akhund Sahib administrated the valley according to Muslim laws. Peace and tranquility prevailed, and agriculture and trade flourished in the territory. Akhund Sahib had two sons by his wife, who belonged to Nikpi Khel(نیک پی خیل).
After the death of Akhund Sahib, the tribal chiefs again started fighting and killing, which continued for years. Eventually the tribal chiefs agreed to give the control of the valley into the hands of the honourable Gul Shahzada Abdul Wadood, the son of Mian Gul Abdul Khaliq, son of Akhund Sahib. The wife of Mian Abdul Wadood was the daughter of Honorable Mirza Afzal-ul-Mulk, the ruler of Chitral. The British by trick put Chitral under the suzerainty of Kashmir. The Chitral ruler gave two horses every year to the Rajia of Kashmir, and the Raja provided Chitral with grain and sugar, etc. Swat thus went under protection of the British.
During the rule of Mian Gul Muhammad, Abdul Haq Jehanzeb, the son of Mian Abdul Wadood Khatana, the state acceded to Pakistan in 1947. The present prince, Muhammad Aurzngzeb Khan, son of Jahanzeb, married the daughter of Field Marshal Mohammad Ayub Khan in 1955. Thus by intermarriages with the other castes, the family became a branch of the imperial Gujjars i.e., the Royal family of Swat valley which belongs to the Gujjar family which laid down the foundation of Swat kingdom. Jahanzeb started a Degree College at Saidu Sahrif, the capital of the State, and four High Schools at Mingora, Chakesar, Matta and Dagar. Fourteen middle schools, twenty-eight lower middle schools, and fifty-six primary schools were established. A girls high school and high class religious schools were established at Saidu Sharif. At all the schools, the poor students were granted scholarships. The state was an exemplary state during British rule. They also have a firm stand in politics of Pakistan. The current Prince Aurangzeb Khan was also Governor of Baluchistan.
Buddhist heritage of Swat
Although it is generally accepted that Tantric Buddhism first developed in Swat under King Indrabhuti, there is an old and well-known scholarly dispute as to whether Uddiyana was in the Swat valley, Orissa or some other place. Padmasambhava (flourished eighth century AD), also called Guru Rimpoche, Tibetan Slob-dpon (teacher), or Padma ‘byung-gnas (lotus born) legendary Indian Buddhist mystic who introduced Tantric Buddhism to Tibet and is credited with establishing the first buddhist monastery there.According to tradition, Padmasambhava was native to Udyana (now Swat in Pakistan).[3] Padmasambhava was the son of Indrabhuti, king of Swat in the early eighth century AD. One of the original Siddhas, Indrabhuti flourished in the early eighth century AD and was the king of Uddiyana in the Kabul valley. His son Padmasambhava is revered as the second Buddha in Tibet. Indrabhuti's sister, Lakshminkaradevi, was also an accomplished siddha of the 9th century AD.[4] Ancient Gandhara, the valley of Pekhawar, with the adjacent hilly regions of Swat and Buner, Dir and Bajaur was one of the earliest centers of Buddhist religion and culture following the reign of the Mauryan emperor Ashoka, in the third century BC. The name Gandhara first occurs in the Rigveda which is usually identified with the region[5]
Buddha heritage in the Swat Valley
The Swat museum has acquired footprints of the Buddha, which were originally placed for devotion in the sacred Swat valley. When the Buddha ascended, relics (personal items, body parts, ashes etc.) were distributed to seven kings, who built stupas over them for veneration.
The Harmarajika stupa (Taxila) and Butkarha (Swat) stupa at Jamal Garha were among the earliest Gandhara stupas. These were erected on the orders of King Ashoka and contained the genuine relics of the historic Buddha.[citation needed]
The Gandhara school is credited with the first representations of the Buddha in human form, rather symbolically as the wheel of the law, the tree, etc.[citation needed]
As Buddhist art developed and spread outside Gandhara, Gandharan styles were imitated. In China the Gandhara style was imitated in bronze images, with gradual changes in the features of these images over the passage of time. Swat, the land of romance and beauty, is celebrated throughout the Buddhist world as the holy land of Buddhist learning and piety. Swat was a popular destination for Buddhist pilgrims. Buddhist tradition holds that Buddha himself came to Swat during his incarnation as Gautama Buddha and preached to the people here.
It is said[by whom?] that the Swat valley was filled with fourteen hundred imposing and beautiful stupas and monasteries, which housed as many as 6,000 gold images of the Buddhist pantheon for worship and education. Archaeologists now know of more than 400 Buddhist sites covering an area of 160 km2 in Swat valley alone. Among the important excavations of Buddhist sites in Swat an important one is Butkarha-I, containing original relics of the Buddha. A stone statue of Buddha, is still there in the village Ghalegay.[citation needed] There is also a big stupa in Mohallah Singardar Ghalegay
Hindu Shahi Rulers and Sanskrit
Swat was ruled by the Hindu Shahi dynasty who have built an extensive array of temples and other architectural buildings now in ruins. Sanskrit may have been the lingua franca of the Swatis.[
Hindu Shahi rulers built fortresses to guard and tax the commerce through this area. Their ruins can be seen in the hills of Swat: at Malakand pass at Swat’s southern entrance
Advent of Islam by Mahmud of Ghazni
At the end of the Mauryan period (324-185 BC) Buddhism spread in the whole Swat valley, which became a very famous center of Buddhist religion.[8]
After a Buddhist phase the Hindu religion reasserted itself, so that at the time of the Muslim conquest (1000 AD) the population was solidly Hindu.[8]
In 1023 Mahmood of Ghazni attacked Swat and crushed the last Buddhist King, Raja Gira in battle. The invasion of Mahmood of Ghazni is of special importance because of the introduction of Islam as well as changing the Chronology.
Arrival Of Yousafzais
The first Muslim arrivals in Swat were Pakhtun Dilazak tribes from south-east Afghanistan. These were later ousted by Swati Pakhtuns, who were succeeded in the sixteenth century by Yusufzai Pakhtuns. Both groups of Pakhtuns came from the Kandahar and Kabul valley
Geography
The valley of Swat is situated in the north of N.W.F.P, 35° North Latitude and 72° and 30° East Longitude, and is enclosed by the sky-high mountains.
Chitral and Gilgit are situated in the north, Dir in the west, and Mardan in the south, while Indus separates it from Hazara in the east. Physical Features: Swat can be divided into two physical regions:
Mountainous Ranges.
Plains.
Mountainous Ranges
As mentioned above, Swat is lying in the lap of Mountainous Ranges, which are the offshoots of Hindukush, so the larger part of Swat is covered with high mountains and hills, the crests of which is hidden by everlasting snow. Though these gigantic Ranges run irregularly: some to the west while the others to the east, but the general direction is North-South. These ranges enclose small but very enchanting valleys.
Eastern Ranges: In Kohistan-e-Swat the chief knot of eastern ranges is Mankial. Its northern branches separate Kohistan-e-Swat from Abasin Kohistan. These ranges form a barrier between Gilgit and Swat, and between Chitral and Swat. The southern extension of Mankial ranges reaches proper Swat. There they join Shangla ranges. Shangla ranges separate proper Swat from Shangla Par area (Shangla Par district). In Shangla district, there are Karora Ranges, which separate Puran from Kanra and Ghurband. The continuation of Shangla ranges joins Dwasaray. On the one hand Dwasaray separates lower Swat from Puran, on the other, it set aside the Buner from Puran. Now the general Direction of the ranges turns westward. Here it is called Elum. Elum Ranges is a big wall between the proper Swat and Buner. The Elum ranges at last join mountains of Malakand.
The Western Ranges: Western ranges start from the mountain and hills of Gabral, Kohistan-e-Swat. It joins the hills of Kundal (Utror). There these ranges meet Daral Ranges. These ranges form a border with Dir district. They run west ward and are named according to the locality. For example Lalko ranges Manrai and Chaprai etc. at last they join the hills of Adenzee and Shamozee. Manrai ranges send off some off shoots southward. They the hills separate Arnoyay valley from the widest valley of Nekpikheil valley.
Plains
Actually the valley of Swat starts from the foothill of Malakand but we are concerned with portion from Landakay to Gabral (Gulabad), the area within the administrative boundaries of Swat. The length of the valley from Landakay to Gabral is 91 miles. Two narrow strips of plains run along the banks of Swat River from Landakay to Madyan. Beyond Madyan in Kohistan-e-Swat, the plan is too little to be mentioned. So for as the width concerns, it is not similar, it varies from place to place. We can say that the average width is 5 miles. The widest portion of the valley is between Barikot and khwaza khela. The widest view point and the charming sight where a major portion of the valley is seen is at Gulibagh on main road, which leads to Madyan. There are some subsidiary valleys, which help to increase the width of the main valley. These subsidiary valleys are called "Daras". A Dara a narrow passage between mountains, and sometimes, the upper course of a river is also called Dara. If we imagine the main valley as a stem of a tree the subsidiary valleys form its branches. Swat River and its tributaries drain Swat. There fore, the whole valley is the outcome of running water. This flowing water cuts the upper courses deeply, and flows the load of washed away materials. As the gradient is greater in the upper course so the erosion is on large scale, particularly in the summer rains, when all the rivers are in flood. The big boulders and stones are rolled, which causes more destruction in the upper courses. When the loaded water reaches to the areas of low gradient, the heavier materials are deposited. The deposition takes place according to the slope, generally, we observe, that the upper course is made up of big boulders, the middle course is of relatively small stones, pebbles, and debris, while the lower course is made of fine clay. Anyhow, the whole plain of Swat valley is strewn by the running water, and is made up of fine alluvial soil.
Demographics
The population at the 1981 Census was 715,938, which had risen to 1,257,602 at the next Census in 1998. The main language of the area is Pakhto. The people of Swat are mainly Pakhtuns,(Afghans) Yusufzais, Akhund Khel Miangan (Syed), Chitralis, Kohistan is, Gurjar (Gujar or Gurjar is the major tribe of the district; its people are divided in different clans like Khatana, Bajarh, Chichi, Ahir, Chuhan, Pamra, Gangal etc. are the main subtribe of the Gurjar family of Swat), Akhund khel Yousafzai, Nooristani, and Awans. Most probably they are originated from the same tribe that roamed around the great trans-Himalayan mountain ranges thousands of years before, and now remained in some isolated pockets of the Himalayan mountain ranges.[citation needed]
The Dardic people of the Kalam region in northern Swat are known as Kohistan is and speak the Torwali and Kalami languages. There are also some Khowar speakers in the Kalam region. This is because before Kalam came under the rule of Swat, it was a regional tributary to Chitral. The Kalamis paid a tribute of mountain ponies to the Mehtar of Chitral every year.
Tourist attractions
Marghazar
Marghazar 16 km away from Saidu Sharif is famous for its “Sufed Mahal” the white marble palace of the former Wali (Ruler) of Swat.
Malam Jabba
Malam Jabba (also Maalam Jabba, Urdu: مالم جبہ) is a Hill Station in the Karakoram mountain range nearly 40 km from Saidu Sharif in Swat Valley, Peshawar, Pakistan. It is 314 km from Islamabad and 51 km from Saidu Sharif Airport.Malam Jabba is home to the largest ski resort in Pakistan. The Malam Jabba Ski Resort, owned by the Pakistani Tourism Development Corporation, had a ski slope of about 800m with the highest point of the slope 2804 m (9200 ft) above sea level. Malam Jabba Ski Resort was the joint effort of the Pakistan government with its Austrian counterpart. The resort was equipped with modern facilities including roller/ice-skating rinks, chair lifts, skiing platforms, telephones and snow clearing equipment.
Swat Museum
Swat Museum is on the east side of the street, halfway between Mingora and Saidu. Japanese aid has given a facelift to its seven galleries which now contain an excellent collection of Gandhara sculptures taken from some of the Buddhist sites in Swat, rearranged and labelled to illustrate the Buddha's life story. Terracotta figurines and utensils, beads, precious stones, coins, weapons and various metal objects illustrate daily life in Gandhara. The ethnographic section displays the finest examples of local embroidery, carved wood and tribal jewellery. For the last three years the museum is occupied by Pakistan army and it is not known when they would be leaving it.
Miandam
Miandam is a small summer resort ten kilometres (six miles) up a steep side valley and 56 kilometers (35 mi) from Saidu Sharif, making it an hour's drive. The metaled road passes small villages stacked up the hillside, the roofs of one row of houses forming the street for the row of houses above. Tiny terraced fields march up the hillside right to the top. Miandam is a good place for walkers. Paths follow the stream, past houses with behives set into the walls and good-luck charms whitewashed around the doors. In the graveyards are carved wooden grave posts with floral designs, like those used by Buddhists 1,000 years ago.
Madyan
By the time you reach this small town at 1320 m and about 60 km from Mingora, the mountains have closed in and the valley is almost snug. Here one senses why Swat is so popular among the tourists. There are a lot of embroidered shawls in the Bazars of Madyan.At 1,321 metres (4,335 feet) above sea level,but it is a larger town and has many hotels in all price ranges and some good tourist shopping. Antique and modern shawls, traditional embroidery, tribal jewellery, carved wood and antique or reproduced coins are sold along the main street. This is the last Swati village, offering interesting two-and three-day walks up to the mountain villages... ask in the bazaar in Muambar Khan's shop for a guide. North of Madyan is Swat Kohistan where walking is not recommended without an armed guard. The central mosque at Madyan has carved wooden pillars with elegant scroll capitals, and its mud-plastered west wall is covered with relief designs in floral motifs. Both bespeak the Swati's love of decoration.[10]
Behrain
A quarter of an hour past Madyan, the road squeezes through Behrain. Tourists stop to shop or have a look around for beautiful carved wood chairs and tables and other handicrafts. Behrainis are a mix of Pashtuns and Kohistanis. Behrain is ten kilometres north of Madyan and only slightly higher, at about 1,400 metres (4,500 feet). It is another popular riverside tourist resort, with bazaars worth exploring for their handicrafts. Some of the houses have carved wooden doors, pillars and balconies. These show a remarkable variety of decorative motifs, including floral scrolls and bands of ornamental diaper patterns almost identical to those seen on Buddhist shrines and quite different from the usual Muslim designs.
Kalam
2070 m high and 100 km from Mingora, it was the centre of an independent state in the 19th century. It was later taken by Chitral then given to Swat after partition.Kalam, 29 kilometres (18 mi) from Bahrain and about 2,000 metres (6,800 feet) above sea level, the valley opens out, providing rooms for a small but fertile plateau above the river. In Kalam the Ushu and Utrot rivers join to form the Swat river. Here, the metalled road ends and shingle road leads to the Ushu and Utrot valleys. From Matiltan one gets a breath-taking view of the snow-capped Mount Falaksir 5918 metres (19,415 ft.), and another unnamed peak 6096 metres (20,000 ft.) high.
Usho
Usho 3 km from Kalam Valley and 117 km from Saidu Sharif
Utror
Utror 16 km from Kalam Valley and 120 km from Saidu Sharif. Utror valley is situated between 35° 20′ to 35° 48′ N latitudes and 72° 12′ and 72° 32′ E longitudes. The population of Utror is 6888 and the area of the valley is about 47400 hectares. Utror valley is surrounded by Gabral and Bhan valleys on the east, upper Dir district on the west, Kalam valley on the south and Gabral valley on the north. It is 15 km from Kalam, the centre of Swat Kohistan. The altitude of the valley at Utror proper is 2300 meters and reaches to 2900 meters at Kandol Lake.
Ghabral
Gabral valley lies between 35° 20′ to 35° 48′ N latitudes and 72° 12′ and 72° 32′ E longitudes over an area of about 38733 hectares. The population of Gabral is 3238. The valley is surrounded by Chitral District in the north, Utror valley in the south and south west, upper Dir district in the west and Bhan and Mahodand valleys in the east. It is 5 km distant from Utror proper and 20 km from Kalam. The altitude of the valley ranges from 2580 metres at Baila to 5160 metres at Karkaray Lake top.In Utror and Gabral, 44 medicinal plants are collected during the months of May, June, July and August. Only 14 of them are traded to National and International markets while the rest are used locally. A survey by Pakistan Forest Institute concludes that 75 crude herbal drugs are extensively exported and more than 200 are locally traded in Pakistan. Indigenous people, who have no training in sustainable harvesting, post-harvesting care and storing of medicinal plants, collect 85 percent of these crude herbs from the wild.
Kundol Lake, Swat valley
Mahudan
Mahodand valley, which lies in the North of Kalam, is famous not only among nature lovers, and escapists but also the exotic trout fish hunters. The valley can be accessed through an un-metalled road from Kalam in a four by four (4x4) vehicle. The road is bumpy and tricky but the surrounding landscapes engrosses you so severely that you wish for more and expect to discover new panoramas. The small hamlets that are scattered in the mountains and the bellowing smoke that spirals into the sky from the houses are some, which lives in the memory forever. Swat River, which is born here, is shackled by the tall mountains, which has turned its water into a roaring monster trying to release itself from its fetters, but there are some places where the river is calm and silent without showing any sign of rebellion.
Pari (Khapiro) lake
Pari Lake is one of the lakes in Swat region which is located at a very high altitude in the foot of the tallest peak in the range with a considerable depth. The name Pari or Khapiro is given to the lake due to the widespread belief that the lake is the abode of fairies where they live and bathe in the cool, pure and clear water of the lake. It is located to North-east of Utror valley and can be accessed only by trekking. Trekking to the lake needs endurance and love for nature as the trail is exasperating as well as dangerous therefore, utmost care should be taken while trekking on the narrow bends and turns leading to the lake. The lake is accessible from both Izmis and Kundal lakes. Two ascending tracks lead to this lake from Kundal and Izmis lakes taking almost five hours to reach this roof top of Swat. The trail is very steep from both sides but the surrounding beauty and eye-cooling green pastures and exotic flowers not only boost the trekker’s stamina but compel him to explore further.
Kundol Lake
The pastoral valley of Swat has abundance of precious resorts of nature where one can find solace and respite from the never-ending struggle of life. Kundal or Kandolo Lake is one such place here upon which the Maestro of nature has spent extra time and effort to paint. Kundal Lake is situated in the north of Utror valley. One can easily access it from Kalam via Utror from where a link road ends in a green valley called Ladu in the foothills of the lake. You can either hike to Ladu from Utror or take a four-wheeler to ease and minimize your journey. It consumes almost two hours to reach the beautiful valley of Ladu. For the adventurous kind, a walk in the romantic valley will unravel several new mysteries. The people who take temporary residency over here during summer plow the open land and harvest potatoes and turnips, which are famous all over the country for its exotic taste. There is also a small hut in Ladu where you can take tea and get something for eating. From Ladu it takes almost four hours to reach the lake. Some locals can guide you and even take your luggage if properly paid. The mountains around this small valley are covered with tall cedar and pine trees and meandered by different streams and torrents. The people are friendly and provide you guidance if required.
Bashigram Lake
Bashigram Lake is situated to the east of Bashigram valley near Madyan. The road to this valley is partly metaled and can be plied by a four by four or any ordinary vehicle. It takes almost forty to fifty minutes to reach this picturesque valley inhibited by simple and hospitable folk. From here, trekking of four to five hours, depending on professionalism and enthusiasm of the trekkers lands you in the realm of a serene and enchanting lake of Bashigram.
Spin Khwar (White Stream) Lake
Spin Khwar is a beautiful lake hidden in the lap of mountains towards the north of Kundal Lake and east of Utror valley. The name Spin Khwar has a clear significance as a small white stream in the east flows down to the lake from the surrounding mountains and is a major source of water for the lake. The lake is accessible through two tracks, one from Kundal and the other from Ladu valley. The track from Ladu is comparatively easy to walk and less tiring while the track from Kundal is not only difficult but alarmingly dangerous although it is short and links Kundal and Spin Khwar. Its steepness and dangerous bends needs an experienced trekker and unending physical strength. The grazers in the area have built small huts and a mosque where one can stay but a personal tent is more recommendable as these huts are in a poor condition due to lack of maintenance.
Daral Lake
Daral lake is situated to the northeast of Sidgai Lake and can be accessed through Saidgai after two three hours rigorous trekking. The trail to Daral is full of fun and amusement because it runs over sky touching heights of the mountains provides spectacular sights and panoramas for the beauty hungry eyes of nature lovers. A close look towards the south will reveal the long and winding sellouts of river Swat in the horizon.After walking and trekking for about two and a half hours on bare and naked mountains, the trail start descending towards the East where Daral Lake is located.
Administration
The region has gone through considerable changes over the last few years since the dissolution of the princely state in 1969. Members of the former Royal family have since on occasion been elected to represent the area in the Provincial Assembly and National Assembly.
Provincial & national politics
The region elects two male members of the National Assembly of Pakistan (MNAs), one female MNA, seven male members of the Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (MPAs)[11] and two female MPAs. In the 2002 National and Provincial elections, the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, an alliance of religious political parties, won all the seats amidst a wave of anti-Americanism that spread after the United States' invasion of Afghanistan.
Wild Life: In early days when the shrubs and bushes covered slopes and foothill areas,hares, porcupine, fox, jackal, wolf, pigs, and hyenas were in large number. Now the need for fuels decreased the scrubs and trees, so these animals have decreased considerably. In the forests,monkeys are often found. Among the birds: hawks, eagles, falcons are found in the high mountains, while pheasants, partridges, hoopoes, larks, sparrows, quails, doves, swallows, starlings, nightingales, crows, kites, vultures, owls, bates are the common birds.
Bees: The bees were kept in Swat commonly, and the pure honey of was famous all over the country. But now the moveable beehives have affected the Swat locally reared bees greatly. Now, the local good honey is found in remote areas only, while the honey of moveable hives is available everywhere in low prices.
Fisheries: There is a large fishery in Madyan. In this fishery the trout fish are being reared. In Kohistan-e-Swat there are some private fisheries too. In Buner the fish were being reared in Barandu, Dagar. Moreover the Swat River serves as a permanent fishery throughout the year while the tributaries of it are used for fishing only in spring season.
Mineral Resources: Mines' production plays an important role in the economy of a country, particularly in the regions where they exist, because, the local people get the opportunities to labor in, and earn their livelihood. But the Swati mines have no importance for the local people in this respect. It is necessary, however, to mention what they are, and where do they exist. Swat is rich in mineral wealth, but the discovered commodities are a few. Among them, the china clay stands first; others are marble stone, and emerald.
China Clay: The china clay exists at “Kathyar” in Nekpikheil (on the road that leads to Shahderai at a distance of 15 miles from Mingora). This is the largest mine, having the finest quality, of China clay in Pakistan. The clay is mined here, and is transported to Shaidu in Nawshehra (which is at a distance of around 100 miles from Swat). It is not so advantageous for the local people, because they have no opportunity to work in the complex.
Soap Clay: The mine of soap clay has been discovered recently between Alpurai and Kanra on the side of Gilgit Road (Shahrah-e-Resham). It is spread in a vast area.
Marbles: The marbles are dug near Charbagh, Murghuzar, and Barikot in the proper valley of Swat, and in Buner, it is mined in Thor Warsak, Bampokha, and Sawawai. Moreover, there is a great expectation of iron ores, which will be discovered in near future.
Emerald: The finest quality of emerald is produced in Swat. Its Color and transparency is unique. It is the best in world. It is exported to the international markets: There is an export potential of 500 million dollars in this sector, provided it is excavated and cut as per international standards. Before the absorption of Swat in Pakistan, the emeralds of Swat were better in quality, and greater in quantity. But since then it is said that the quantity of production is little, and the quality devalued.
Industries:
Handicrafts: The handicrafts of Swat are very famous. When a tourist visits Swat, he accumulates bundles of these articles as gifts for his friends. All of the crafts prepared here are interesting, especially, the following are very charming.
Woolen Blankets: These blankets are known as "Sharai". They are prepared of wool obtained from the local sheep. The weight of a medium size blanket is four kilos. This is the best source of defense from the severity of winter. It is woven in Dewlai, Kala Kalay, Salampur, Puran, and Ghurband. These villages prepare the items on commercial scale.
Shawl: Shawl is a younger brother of Sharai, as it is also a woolen sheet, but light in weight. Sometimes, cotton is also mixed in its texture. It is beautifully fringed, and is commonly used by ladies. The tourists like it too much. Shawls are prepared in Salampur and Dewlai "Jolabad" on commercial bases.
Rugs: The next important thing, made of local fleece with laborious work, is rug. This is prepared in the villages by pressing wool with the help of water spray. After preparation, it is beautified with the usage of various colors. Rugs are the traditional carpets of shepherds, but now are used everywhere.
Embroidery: The embroidery of Swat is very famous, and is liked everywhere in Pakistan, as well as by the out-comers. This art is an indoor hobby of the ladies in Swat. Particularly in Nekpikheil, this is so common that very younger girls might also be seen having needlework in their hands. There are three types of embroidery:
Panrae or Panhey: Panrey or Panrhey is the old fashion of shoes, still used by the old persons in Swat. They are made in Swat with the simply tanned leather. The cobblers have great skill in the formation of ladies shoes with golden lace work. Similarly, the sandals with golden lace work are also made. The cobblers of Shahderai had great skill in this field. It is now archaic.
Shkor: A Shkor is a pot in which chapatis (plate bread used in India and Pakistan) are kept. The ordinary Shkors are prepared everywhere in Swat, but a special design is made in Puran and Chagharzee (These Shkors are high-based pots made of wheat stalks with laborious art, not easily available in bazaar).
Furniture: Furniture of various styles is made in the district. The cots, tables, chairs, dressing tables, cradles of more advanced types, etc. are furnished in Mingora, and in nearly all large villages.
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This photo was taken on 19 March 2017, our last but one day on the island of Trinidad. On that day, we hiked to see the unusual Oilbirds in the morning and then we went to the Caroni Swamp in the afternoon and evening. We were lucky enough to see a Masked Cardinal near the Caroni Swamp, before going on a boat to see the Scarlet Ibis arriving. The Scarlet Ibis is one of the two national birds of Trinidad and Tobago.
At the Swamp, my six friends and I were privileged to be able to watch the arrival of huge flocks of amazing Scarlet Ibis flying in to roost. Will add this YouTube link (not my video) to give an idea of what our boat ride was like - including the large snake curled up in a tree over our heads! All the other boats we saw were packed full of people, but we were given a boat to ourselves, which was great. Boats have to stay the far side of the huge body of water, in order to not put stress on the birds, so my photos are very distant, fully zoomed, but at least they give an idea of the breathtaking colour of the Ibis. It was sunset when we returned through the mangrove swamp to our vehicle. We didn't even miss the daily Rum Punch that is always served at the Asa Wright Nature Centre - our guide came fully prepared, and we sipped the refreshing drink while we waited for the Ibis to arrive!
This outing really was the highlight of our holiday, kept to the last but one day on Trinidad. There was just one more outing the following morning, and then we spent that afternoon hanging out at the Asa Wright Nature Centre, photographing some of the birds and packing our bags ready for leaving in the middle of the night to catch our flight home.
This adventure was only the second holiday of any kind, anywhere, that I have had in something like 30 or 35 years! The other holiday was a wonderful, one-week trip with my dear friends from England, Linda and Tony, when we went down south to Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons in September 2012. I have had maybe half a dozen weekends away, including to Waterton National Park, which have helped keep me going.
Six birding/photographer friends and I decided that we would take this exciting trip together (from 12-21 March 2017), spending the first two or three days on the island of Tobago and then the rest of the time at the Asa Wright Nature Centre on the nearby, much larger island of Trinidad. We decided to take a complete package, so everything was included - accommodation at both places, all our food, and the various walks and day trips that we could choose from. Two of my friends, Anne B. and Brenda, saw to all the planning of flights and accommodations, which was so very much appreciated by the rest of us. I could never have done all this myself! We were so lucky with our flights, as we were just in time to get Black Friday prices, which were 50% off!
What a time we had, seeing so many beautiful and interesting things - and, of course, everything was a lifer for me. Some of these friends had visited Costa Rica before, so were familiar with some of the birds. There was a lot more to see on Trinidad, so we were glad that we chose Tobago to visit first and then spend a longer time at Asa Wright. It was wonderful to be right by the sea, though, at the Blue Waters Inn on the island of Tobago. Just gorgeous.
The Asa Wright Nature Centre, on Trinidad, is such an amazing place! We stayed in cabins up or down hill from the main building. Really, one doesn't need to travel away from the Centre for birding, as so many different species visit the Hummingbird feeders that are right by the huge, open veranda, and the trees of the rain forest high up the mountainous road. The drive up and down this narrow, twisting, pot-holed road was an adventure in itself! Never would I ever do this drive myself - we had a guide who drove us everywhere in a minibus. I had read many accounts of this road, lol! There was enough room for two vehicles to pass each other, and the honking of horns was almost continuous - either to warn any vehicle that might be coming fast around the next bend or as a sign that drivers knew each other. The drive along this road, from the coast to Asa Wright, took just over an hour each way.
I still miss the great food that was provided every single day at Asa Wright and even the Rum Punch that appeared each evening. I never drink at all, so I wasn't sure if I would even try the Punch - glad I did, though, as it was delicious and refreshing. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were all served buffet-style, with a great variety of dishes from which to choose. To me, pure luxury. So very, very grateful to have been invited to be part of this amazing adventure.
This is a video that I came across on YouTube, taken by Rigdon Currie and Trish Johnson, at many of the same places we visited on Trinidad and Tobago. Not my video, but it made me feel like I was right there still. Posting the link here again, so that I won't lose it.
I also came across the following 27-minute YouTube video of the flora and fauna of Trinidad, filmed by John Patrick Smith in February 2015.
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"Hey Kid!" Aiden turned slightly and glanced over his shoulder at the sound of the captain's voice calling him. He watched as the captain approached, now dressed more relaxed and smoking from a pipe. "It's time to get to work," he was told firmly. Aiden nodded and glanced back around before uncertainly letting go of the mast*. "Yes, Sir."
Vincent took a deep pull off of his pipe and began to approach. He could see how wobbly Aiden was as he tried not to cling to the mast again. Everything he was about to explain to Aiden was something he really should have discussed before hiring him on. But for some strange reason Vincent had hired him without thought to if the kid would really fit the lifestyle. He'd just...done it and here they were whether they liked it or not.
Vincent breathed out the smoke and began to speak. "As you have likely realized, we're a three-man ship. It's exceedingly rare that anyone else will join us due to lack of space. Your job as Engineer is a little more broad because of it. You will be responsible for the machinery maintenance of Leon's Claw. You are to report anything out of the ordinary directly to me if it's anything of concern, no matter the time. While you are not working on machinery, you will be helping Damien when he needs it. He's my First Mate and Bosun*. He does most of the laborious work on deck. I handle not only my duties as captain, but also in navigation."
Aiden followed along so far, listening to the information given to him. He had a feeling there would be some deck crew work involved with a ship this small but at least he'd be able to spend most of his time with engineering maintenance!
"It all seems pretty straightforward, Sir," Aiden responded as the captain leaned back against the guardrail. "That's how I run my ship," he replied, glancing around at his ship. "I expect three things from everyone aboard this ship, myself included. First is to respect each other. Two, always be honest and have open communication. Third, if there's conflict, work it out like honorable, grown men."
On the other side of the ship by the stern*, Damien was winding up some excess rope with a bit of roughness to his movements. What was Vincent thinking, hiring just some kid he knew nothing about?! He remembered yesterday evening when Vincent returned only to inform him that he'd hired a new engineer. He'd not even consulted Damien on the candidate! Granted Vincent was captain and the final choice was his but still...that boy didn't look like the kind of blood they needed. Vincent had been pretty quiet at dinner and going to bed early without much explanation at all. There hadn't been much time to speak before their departure.
"Aiden, meet Damien O'Connor."
Damien looked up from where he was securing the round of rope to Vincent, that boy tagging along behind him. Vincent was his usual, stoic self; factual and business-like. "Damien, meet Aiden Anderson, our new engineer. I will be leaving him with you this evening to show around Leon's Claw so he can learn his duties in assisting you as well."
Aiden had approached behind the captain and as he was making the introductions, Aiden found himself gazing towards Damien's left hand. It was black! Even more curious, it was mechanical! He'd seen cyborgs before but never up close! His trained eye told him it was not made of cheap metal either! It had beautiful scrolling work. He'd love to inspect it up close! However before he could register anything else, he heard a clearing of the throat and he looked up to see both men staring at him. "I'm so sorry!" Aiden hastily explained. "I'm just so fascinated by your hand. I've never seen anything so wonderful and beautiful up close!"
The irritation Damien felt eased as his hand was complimented. He gave a small, smug smirk. "Hm. It is a fascinating piece of work, isn't it? Good to meet you, Aiden. If you'll come with me, we'll let the captain get back to what he does best." Vincent gave a small "Heh" and then turned to head down and resume his work at the helm and navigation. Aiden watched the captain go then turned his attention back to Damien with an amiable smile. "It's great to meet you, too."
Damien began to escort Aiden around the ship, going through every area except the captain's quarters. As they went through, he could see the fascination in Aiden's eyes and how they lit up; especially upon seeing the small boiler room with all the machinery. His excitement over every little thing was a bit irksome; not at all cute whatsoever.
It was evening; nearly sunset. Damien stood towards the bow* near the mast. Aiden followed him up here and looked around at the beautiful sight of the sunset. "It's so fascinating," Aiden breathed. "Ah yes, you've said," Damien responded flatly. Aiden looked back at him, then out at the mountains again. Damien stared at the back of the younger man's head, then heard an unfamiliar hissing coming from the engine. He glanced over his shoulder, sighed, then looked back at Aiden who was still gazing around. "Hey kid," he warned, "don't get so distracted. Can't you hear that hissing sound?"
Aiden turned quickly, eyes widened a little at the sudden distraction. "Right! My apologies, I'm still familiarizing myself with the ship." Aiden quickly moved forward to the hissing which turned out to be steam being released through a crack in one of the pipes. His face gave nothing away as he knelt down in front of the boiler to inspect it.
Damien walked around him and stood before him next to the boiler. "I suppose I shouldn't be too hard on you. After all it's only your first time on an airship. I can't blame you for feeling out of place on a thing like this." Aiden quirked his mouth and gave a small shrug. Yeah, he supposed he was a bit out of place. He'd jumped without finding all the information and it was a bigger job than expected. To be honest, it was a little intimidating. "But you know what you're doing here, I can tell. How long have you been working with the captain?"
Damien squared his shoulders slightly and glanced back at Aiden and spoke confidently, "I've been with him almost six years now. Been inseparable ever since." Aiden smiled slightly. "That's really great. You guys must be best friends." "Yeah, since day one. Always got each other's backs. I've seen many people come and go but not Vincent. He's usually pretty picky about who he lets on the ship so when he invited you, it must have been shocking for both of you with no experience getting hired on the spot like that." "I guess a little, yeah," Aiden agreed. Damien watched as Aiden began digging for tools in his toolbelt. "But hey, if you can't figure this out, it's not a big deal. There are some books on mechanics in the captain's quarters. He knows you're still learning about engines. I'm sure he won't hold it against you if you don't know how to fix it right away." "Actually," Aiden responded with a confident smile now that he'd located the problem, "the issue is that there's a split right here in this pipe right here. See it? I can tighten it but it's only going to be a temporary fix. But I got something for it." He began to dig in his pouch as Damien said, "Alright, then let's go see if you can find what you- Are you going to seriously try and fix this with...with...with TAPE?! Are you insane?!"
Aiden glanced up at him and tilted his head. "I can tell you in all seriousness that this stuff holds everything. It's almost like a fabric but sticks and seals amazingly. One time, I saw one of my dad's mechanic buddies put it on his chest on a dare once and...well let's say I don't suggest you try it." He tugged some off and began to apply it around the pipe's circumference. "And please forgive me but this IS a big deal. We'll have to replace this pipe no matter what and very soon. It's worn out and thinning quickly from what I can tell. The tape will hold for now until I go find the right clamp and cover needed to keep it closed. If I don't do this now, it may take time for me to locate the right size and that's if, hopefully, we have it. We risk further damage and possibly even losing altitude. You don't want to gamble with that pipe line. After all, it is a direct feed to the propellers." He stood, putting everything away in his pouch and wiping his dampened, steamed hands on his pants. "So tape it is. Heh. I guess I am not so out of place after all. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must go report my findings to the captain." He smiled politely then moved past Damien to go to the captain's quarters to report the findings of the leak, leaving Damien to stare after him in stunned silence.
***
Vocabulary:
*Mast: a tall, upright post on a ship that carries the sails
*Bosun: a ship's officer who looks after the maintenance of the on deck areas, the rigging, and the sails
*Stern: the back of a ship
*Bow: the front of the ship
Next Part: www.flickr.com/photos/153660805@N05/50824305468/in/datepo...
To read the rest of the story, here's the album link: www.flickr.com/photos/153660805@N05/albums/72157717075565127
***Please note this is a BOY LOVE (BL/yaoi/gay) series. It is a slow burn and rated PG13!***
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Special thank you to Vin Aydin Raven-Mysterious for collaborating with me on this series and co-starring as The Captain!
And also a special thank you to Logan Owle for starring as 1st Mate Damien O'Connor and joining us in this adventure!
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DISCORD SERVER: That's right! The Captain and the Engineer has a Discord Server! If you would like to join and chat with other crewmates and see what's new and happening before it gets posted to Flickr, click the link!
***NEW!!!!***
The Captain and the Engineer now has a FACEBOOK PAGE! Please come Like, Follow, and join the crew! Thank you so much for all your support!
FACEBOOK PAGE:
Pickled Hot Peppers
Here is the link to the brand new video!!
This house sold for $1.5 million two years ago, which would be a bargain for this property in today's market. Sitting on a large chunk of land and surrounded by large trees, this home is easily missed when driving by. It is a relatively small ranch style bungalow likely built in the 1950s. The lawn was overgrown and there is also a large in ground pool located around the back of the house.
A pretty cool explore, this house had a lot of interesting wallpaper and decor that was mostly from the 50s and 60s with some 80s elements thrown in for good measure. Lots of personal items left behind including a fur coat, some toys and books in the garage. It was a bit sad to see a hospital type bed in the living room which is usually a sign that an elderly person lived out their final days in this home. At the same time, they are very lucky to have had that option to be able to spend that time in their home that they obviously loved!
What a difference a year can make!! Since my visit, this home had seen some renovations done, part of the exterior was painted blue and the 90% of the interior had been gutted and then painted all white! What surprised me the most though is that they took down all of the wallpaper in the living and replaced it with something more modern. All the work they did and the house continued to sit without power or maintenance. Because of this, vandals have seen come in to smash windows and put holes in the walls.
Current exterior photo in blue courtesy of RP Explorations, go check out his channel as well as his new video of what the home currently looks like.
What the heck is this rather unusual plant "thing", rather boring in a way doing here today! Well, I thought I would just put it up to see how many knew it, had seen them or indeed, tasted them?
This is the fruit of an unusual plant that grows in special spots around coastal Queensland which my parents called a "Monstereo". That's how it sounded anyway. You can see in the link below that it is probably more rightly called a Monstera_deliciosa. Quite a mouthful for a young kid, as I was when first introduced to it. We used to see these growing in people's gardens at Caloundra, north of Brisbane when we went on holidays. We found this one on a back road near Eudlo, a small hinterland town a few kilometres inland from Caloundra.
This is a fruit that you almost never find in shops. If you are lucky, a roadside stall might have one. They start to ripen one end usually and little by little, as they ripen the little segments fall off in rings and clumps from one end to the other, slowly. Underneath is an off white, slippery textured fruit, which is best removed by prizing off with a fork. It has little black things in it that can tend to get into the teeth or the tongue, something that made me quite wary of eating it. But once you taste it, you will be hooked. It is not called (apparently) fruit salad fruit for nothing as the taste is out of this world. A fusion of delicious flavours which may last a week to eat, bit by bit. And the best way to eat it, well, we always put it on our breakfast cereal.
Some variants of the plant don't fruit and do well in pots, even in the house although they are rather hefty plants if let go. The wiki article has photos of them, many of you might recognise them from their distinctive leaves.
If you ever get a chance to try one, give it a go. But wait for it to ripen and lose segments first and only eat the bit under segments that fall off. The rest is not ripe.